Hunting an Angel: The Fallen Ones
by Tolen
Summary: On the run from Manticore, Renfro and her allies Max along with Kyla, Wolf, Lydecker and unit two must find out what their dangerous new enemies are about. And why is Renfro so interested in Max and her X7 clone Kara? Sequel to "Hunting an Angel"
1. Chapter 1

Title: Hunting an Angel: The Fallen Ones

Rating: T

Pairing: M/A but for all of you who are not M/A fans, don't worry, it's not gonna be some kind of fluffy romance. Those of you who read "Hunting an Angel" know that I usually focus more on the military side of the story and my own characters, Wolf and Kyla, when it comes to relationships and I intend to keep it that way.

Notes: This is a sequel to the story "Hunting an Angel". It continues right where the first part ended. I cannot promise that I'll be able to update as regularly as I was in my first story. I'll do what I can but 2 updates within 24 hours are certainly not possible at the time.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Dark Angel and I don't intend to make money with this story so don't sue me, please.

Char list: I will post the char list at the beginning of this chapter and update it regularly. If you want I can also put updated versions at the end of each chapter.

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two and member of blue team. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. After running away from Manticore she has finally gotten together with Havoc. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two and red team. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Has no shark but snake DNA.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and is happy Max did as well as she once said she couldn't bear to lose her little sister again. She's a member of blue team.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA after the mission in Joliet.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two and leader of red team. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights. Over the years she has developed a strong affection towards Wolf but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them had the courage to make the next step until recently. They are a couple now but they still have to deal with a lot of unknown and troubling emotions, most of all the fear to lose the other.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two and blue. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. After running away from Manticore he has finally gotten together with Nova. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two and red team. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. Just like his partner Kyla he had been developed for combat operations. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is and his knowledge about almost any sort of combat makes him a deadly enemy. Over the years he has developed a strong affection towards Kyla but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them had the courage to make the next step until recently. They are a couple now but they still have to deal with a lot of unknown and troubling emotions, most of all the fear to lose the other.

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command, leader of blue team. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Recently he has started to have strange feelings for Max but isn't sure what to do about it yet. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two and blue team. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-734 aka Brin** Member of red team. After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. After having been a specialist for one-man missions for some time Brin got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier. It seems like she got back most of her memories by now, most of all about her brother Zane.

**X5-798 aka Jace** Member of blue team. She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She has been a member of unit five but got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier.

**X7-452 aka Kara** The nine year old girl is the X7 clone of Max. Forced to leave Manticore with unit two she was terrified at first but quickly accustomed to it. Despite being a child and acting quite innocently most of the time she more than capable to defend herself.

**Corporal Daniel Hayden** He was a corpsman in the Manticore black ops corps. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two.

**Major Patrick Coleman** He was unit two's instructor and TAC leader since their childhood. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two. He and the Colonel have known each other for a long time as they had served together in the Delta Force during the Mogadishu incident in 1990 already.

**Sergeant Christian O'Neill** He was a TAC team leader in the Manticore black ops corps. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two. He and the Colonel have known each other for a long time as they had served together in the Delta Force during the Mogadishu incident in 1990 already.

* * *

_Gilette, Wyoming – 2013_

They were lying on their backs in the soft grass and watched the stars. It was a rather cold night but neither X5-451 nor X5-301 cared. They didn't feel the cold. Their bodies had been made to withstand far more severe temperatures without problems and their minds were trained to ignore things like coldness, discomfort or pain. As a matter of fact they both felt rather comfortable at the moment. The day's mission had been accomplished and Major Coleman had been so pleased with their performance he had given them the rest of the night off, something that didn't happen very often. It had only happened once before, to be exact. They both had decided to stay outside. It was just the two of them, the rest of their unit was training with the Colonel tonight, and both of them had always enjoyed a night outside the grey walls of their barracks but always inside the perimeter fence, of course. During those nights they got rare glimpses of how it would be to live in peace and without the constant stress of the drills and exercises but they both knew that in the morning they would report back to Coleman and a new day of training would start.

Yes, tonight was definitely a good night and 451 hoped it wouldn't be the last. It had been more than four years since the '09er escape and the time after their desertion had been rough for the transgenics who had remained at Manticore. Reindoctrination, PsyOps, punishments…he shook his head. He didn't want to think about that anymore. It was over and after about a year after the escape the instructors' behavior had suddenly changed. Sure, they were still their superiors and whenever an X5 stepped out of line he was severely punished but somehow the instructors had started to trust them again and even answered some of their questions once in a while.

Questions. That had been something which none of them had even dared to think about. They were soldiers, they didn't need to ask questions. Soldiers received their orders and executed them, nothing more, nothing less. The only time hadn't done that was the night in '09 when he had let his biological twin sister, X5-452, escape. He frowned upon thinking about her. What had she said was her name? Max?

"What are you thinking, 451?" 301 suddenly asked. The girl had turned her head and looked at him, having noticed the sudden change in his behavior and breathing. He found her eyes easily even in the darkness surrounding them and smiled quietly at her. Of course he had noticed the slight undertone of worry in her voice and while he couldn't explain it rationally he felt glad to know she seemingly cared about him. Of course they both cared about the others of their unit, too, but it was different between the two of them. Almost immediately after the night unit one had escaped the reindoctrination sessions had started and 451, who had reported to the Colonel that he'd let one of the rogue X5s escape without a logical reason had spent a considerable amount of time longer in the basement of the facility than the rest of his unit.

When he had returned to the barracks and as soon as they were sure no guard or instructor was around all of the others had started to ask him questions why he had been away longer than them. Only 301 had remained silent and had ordered the rest of the team to leave him alone as she could see he needed some rest. She had always known something had happened that night after the rogue X5 had knocked her out but she also trusted her CO and knew 451 would tell her when he thought the time was right and when he was ready. Without saying a word she had helped him out of the bloodstained nightgown and into the shower. She held him and helped him into a new gown and had supported his battered and injured body until they were back in their dormitory again. The rest of their unit had shot them curious and confused glances but they quickly turned away as soon as 301 sent them a warning glare.

She had helped him into his bed and stayed at his side until he closed his eyes and drifted off into an uneasy sleep. When he had started tossing around about an hour later and small and frightened whimpers had escaped his lips she had been at his side in a second. She didn't know what to do and that made her feel helpless; nobody had ever instructed her how you helped a teammate who was having nightmares. Out of instinct she had done the only thing that came to her mind. She grabbed his hand and held it in a firm but yet gentle grip, hoping that his subconscious mind would notice her presence. After a few minutes he had calmed down.

That had become sort of a ritual. They would go to bed and while 451 usually needed almost no sleep thanks to his shark DNA he slept a lot now because his body needed all of his strength and energy to heal. As soon as the nightmares would start 301 would be at his side and held his hand until he calmed down and she always stayed until he woke up in the morning.

When he'd woken up the first time he had been surprised to find her next to his bed but one look into her eyes seemingly told him everything he needed to know and he had nodded at her thankfully. Of course the others had noticed 301's strange behavior but nobody talked about it. It was her business and none of her teammates wanted to mess with the unit's 2IC.

That was how 301 and 451 had started to look out for each other more than they had done it ever before. Even after 451 had healed completely and was cleared for active duty again they always made sure the other one was alright. The other members of their unit didn't say anything and the instructors didn't notice.

451 smiled. Yes, it was definitely a good thing to have somebody like 301 as your partner.

"451, what are you thinking?" the girl repeated her question when he didn't answer.

"I was just remembering my time after PsyOps" he explained. "How you took care of me."

"Oh, okay." She didn't know what to answer to that. The instructors always told them that they must not get attached to each other, that soldiers couldn't afford to get attached.

"I never said it before, 301" he continued when he saw her insecurity "but thank you."

"You're welcome" she answered with a grateful smile. So he wasn't thinking she'd done the wrong thing, she thought somehow relieved.

After that they both returned their attention to the stars above them, both absorbed in their own thoughts until the girl suddenly shivered.

"What is it?" the boy asked immediately, sounding alarmed and looking at her with concern.

"It's nothing" she mumbled defensively.

"Do you have seizures again?" He definitely sounded worried now.

"No, it's just…" she began but trailed off. She didn't want to tell him but one look told her he wouldn't let it go just like that. She felt kind of ashamed. She was an X5, a soldier, she shouldn't…finally she sighed and admitted barely audible: "I'm a little bit cold."

There, she had said it. Despite being a genetically enhanced soldier she really felt cold. Her body was exhausted after the day's exercises and it was only natural she didn't have the strength to ignore the need for some warmth anymore but she still should be able to. But somehow she just wasn't at the moment. She looked at her CO wearily, waiting for him to reprimand her for her weakness but surprisingly she only saw how he relaxed a little bit and his eyes suddenly held a kind and caring look. Without saying anything he moved closer to her.

"Come here" he whispered and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him and sharing his body heat with her. She tensed up at first but quickly relaxed when she understood his intentions. She had to admit that it felt nice to have his chest pressed against her back and she could feel how the coldness was leaving her body after some minutes.

"Don't get any funny ideas" she mumbled. He just chuckled and that brought a small smile to her lips as well. They knew each other since they had been children and she trusted him and was sure he would never do anything to her if she wouldn't give him permission first. He was just a fellow soldier and a friend who cared about her and wanted to keep her warm and there was absolutely nothing wrong about that in her opinion.

Eventually her eyes became heavy and she felt how sleep was slowly claiming her.

"Thank you" she whispered tiredly and after some seconds of hesitation she added: "Wolf."

He tensed up at first but quickly relaxed again. There was no instructor around, no guard. Manticore's laws didn't always apply out here in the woods. Finally he smiled kindly although he knew she couldn't see it.

"You're welcome" he answered quietly and whispered the name he had given his partner – his friend – two years ago after one of their first missions: "Kyla."

She sighed happily and curled up in his arms, feeling safe and carefree for once. Only minutes later he could tell by her calm and shallow breathing that she had fallen asleep. It wasn't long until he joined her.

* * *

_Swiss Alps – the present_

Wolf woke up from his dream with a start, feeling that somebody was approaching him. Without thinking his hand found his battle knife.

"Easy" came Kyla's calm voice out of the darkness and he relaxed.

"How long was I out?" he wanted to know.

"Half an hour" she replied. "You were dreaming?"

"Yeah."

"What about?"

"The night in '13" he explained, knowing that with her eidetic memory she would know what he was talking about. "When we were out in the woods and you were cold."

"Oh" she replied and grinned after a short pause. "Yeah, I remember. You were kind of cute."

"Cute?" He gave her a wry look. "I was trying to keep you warm!"

"Sure you did!" Her grin grew even wider. She knew he was telling the truth but she just loved to tease him. He shook his head and sighed.

"Women!" he muttered but became serious again. "Why did you wake me up anyway?"

"We just got the signal from Max." In an instant the playful tone in her voice was gone and she was a disciplined soldier again. "She says it's all clear."

He nodded. Another night, another mission.

"Wake up the others" he ordered and got up. "We're moving out in five minutes."

* * *

**Okay, that's the beginning, I hope you liked it. As always I appreciate any sort of constructive critizism.**

**If I forgot somebody with my PMs I'm terribly sorry, but unfortunately I'm just a mere human ;) forgive me, if you can.**

**I hope I'll find some of my old reviewers here again and of course new ones, too.**

**And yes, I haven't changed: Reviews are life! Tell me what you think, please.**


	2. To War Again

Okay, ten days and a new laptop later (damn, I already miss my old one) I continue this story. I know it has been a long time and I am really, really sorry. Murphy's law has been proved right once again.

I was really surprised to see many of my old readers again and of course I was pleased to see new ones, too. I hope you're all still out there and can forgive me for this delay.

**Geminangel:** Glad you like them. Sorry for the delay and I hope your exams are going well.

**coolkitty154:** Thanks to you, too, and as I said already; sorry you had to wait so long.

**JOUNOUCHI sama:** Welcome back. Thanks for the offer but at the moment I won't write anything except for this story. As you can see I sometimes even have trouble to keep it up with this one. But perhaps I will get back to your offer one day.

**tylee17:** There you are. I'm really glad to have you back again and of course thanks for your review. And of course you'll get to see more of Kyla and Wolf, but not in this chapter yet. Don't worry I have many things planned for them. I hope you stick with me through this whole story like you did with Hunting an Angel. Thanks again and enjoy.

**c00kiemonster:** Well, updating soon I didn't but I hope you're still out there. Thanks to you, too.

**Taeniaea:** There you are again. Welcome back and thank you.

**452max:** Welcome back, too. Glad to see you here. Sorry for the delay to you, too, but I hope you can still enjoy this chapter.

**roseyangel:** You're welcome. And by the way, you surely earned it. Thanks for your review, too.

**Divine Fighter:** You'll have to be a little bit patient until they get their hands on Renfro but don't worry, I haven't forgotten about her.

**Dark Yellow Dino:** Welcome on board and thanks to you, too.

**As I said before I will not post the char list in every chapter but only when there were significant changes.**

**Now I really hope you're all still reading this. A new chapter is up, read and enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter one: To War Again

She sat perfectly still while she let her eyes wander over the small clearing. She had been here for about an hour now, acting as her team's scout, and it seemed like there was nothing alive around her except for her teammates who had arrived only minutes ago. It was utterly quiet here, so deep in the mountains. That had been one of the first things she had noticed after they had arrived. During the night there was almost no noise to be heard, not like it had been back in the woods around Manticore. The only thing she could hear now was the soft whisper of a rather cool wind caressing her skin and making her shudder slightly.

"451, this is 452" Max whispered into her micro "I'm ready."

She could hear her teammates voicing their affirmatives over wireless as well and she felt how her body tensed up even more than it already was. Although it was night and new moon the stars above her provided more than enough light for her enhanced sight so she could already see the entrance to the underground bunker they had to infiltrate and after a long and uncomfortable day she wanted nothing more than to get there, grab their target and get out again and back home to get a hot shower and a real meal.

She almost sighed at that thought but forced her mind to concentrate on the task at hand. She knew they couldn't afford to underestimate their enemy. A week ago already one of their missions had gone bad and she didn't want that to happen ever again. To her left she caught a glimpse of Kyla and Nova advancing and getting into position as well and only seconds later the whole team had checked in and announced that they were ready. Without making a sound Max checked her weapon and readied herself for the assault.

There were a dozen X5s posted all around the small and fairly well hidden entrance now and usually Max would have felt more than confident that they would be able to accomplish this mission without problems. Manticore transgenics were some of the finest infantry soldiers the world had ever seen and there were only a handful of adversaries they had to fear. Unfortunately they were going against exactly one of those adversaries at the moment.

"_Blue squad"_ she could finally hear her brother's calm but stern voice over wireless, _"advance and take defensive positions around the entrance! Red squad: Cover them!"_

Without making a sound six dark figures rose from behind their covers and approached the target quickly. Max – as a member of red squad – stayed behind and watched her surroundings, searching for any sign of their enemy with her finger on the trigger. She still didn't like guns but she knew that sometimes they were necessary and if any adversary would chose to show himself while blue squad was in the open it was her job to spot him first and assure the safety of her team members.

Fortunately that wasn't necessary. All six transgenics reached the entrance without problems and took their positions around it, securing their surroundings. Even in the dark Max could make out Jondy's quick and self-confident movements and Alec's small signals as he coordinated his squad's movements before he announced over wireless once again:

"_Blue squad all clear. You can come"_

"_Roger that, blue leader"_ Wolf's answer was clear and void of emotions. Max knew her brother cared about the whole team much more than he would ever admit but while in combat his lack of emotions still surprised her sometimes. Back at Manticore just like his partner Kyla he'd had the reputation to be one of the most coldhearted and calculating X5 throughout the whole facility. And one of the most dangerous. But she wasn't given time to think about her brother's characteristic traits anymore; once again his voice came over radio loud and clear. _"Red squad advance and join blue. Alec, you cover us!"_

"_Roger that!"_ was Alec's only response.

The second half of her team left their covers and Max was quick to follow them. When they reached the entrance and were – for the moment – safe again she quickly glanced around. Nothing had changed, nothing had moved and yet she couldn't get rid of the feeling that something was wrong. Their cover was good, their escape route planned and she doubted anyone would have thought of this small entrance in years but still she felt like something bad was gonna happen.

"Listen up!" Wolf's whisper came from behind her. His voice was so low an ordinary human wouldn't even hear it but for the transgenics it was no problem to understand him clearly. "I'm going in with red squad. Alec, you stay here and secure the entrance."

"Got it!" the brown-haired Alec replied as quietly as his CO but Max could hear the small note of annoyance in his voice. A few days ago the leader of blue squad had complained that he rarely got to see any action and that his squad almost always had to stay behind as backup. It was clear to everyone that he had only wailed about it to annoy Wolf and Kyla. Red squad would always be the first to go in and Wolf as the team's CO would usually join them. But Alec wouldn't be Alec if he'd just accepted that without some snide remarks and everybody knew that and just grinned or ignored him.

The five members of the red squad – Brin, Blade, Artemis and Max with Kyla as their leader – gathered around the entrance as did Wolf as the team's commanding officer. Kyla looked at Max's brother for some sort of confirmation and he just nodded, knowing that she would even see that tiny signal in the darkness. Slowly the female X5 opened the entrance and peeked inside but couldn't detect any sort of danger so she gave the all clear signal. Wolf nodded at her to advance and the shorthaired transgenic slowly entered the dark corridor that would lead them further underground and to their target.

That was when all hell broke loose. Somebody inside the corridor opened fire without warning and Kyla's body jerked back and fell to the ground. As if this had be the attack signal Max's team suddenly took fire, muzzle flashes and gunshots tearing through the night from all around them. Jondy got hit as did Havoc and Artemis before any of them could react. Max spotted one of their attackers and opened fire on him, growling when she saw him fall, and also the rest of her team finally recovered from the first shock and defended themselves at the best of their capabilities, but it was hopeless.

Their enemies had them trapped and almost surrounded. How the hell had they done that? There had been no sign of them. Max hadn't heard or smelled them at all and she was an X5, goddammit! They were in a better position and while the transgenics had gathered at one point it seemed their attackers were everywhere and not even with their enhanced eyesight it was easy to discover all of the hidden shooters. After some seconds Blade and Brin fell as well and Max got hit into the shoulder. Almost immediately her right arm became numb and she almost dropped her weapon.

"Retreat to position two, five hundred…!" she heard Wolf shout and looked up just in time to see how he caught a bullet himself. His body jerked back violently and he dropped to his knees and then fell on his side, not moving anymore. Max grabbed her gun with her left hand and tried to get a clean shot at one of the shooters she had spotted but before she could pull the trigger she got hit by two shots in the chest almost simultaneously. She fell and before everything went dark the only thing she could think was:

'Not again!'

* * *

"Do you want to tell me that we have no idea where they are?" a very angry Director Renfro snarled at the man who stood before her desk.

"Yes, ma'am" Agent Sandoval replied and tried not to show how uneasy he felt. "After Seattle we lost them."

"Agent Sandoval" the blond haired woman growled in a dangerously low voice. "I have twelve X5s, one X7 and four men of Manticore black ops – one of them Lydecker himself – who are on the run from Manticore and I want them back! I don't care what you have to do. Use every contact we have, bribe every damned informant and if necessary shot somebody but find them!"

"Yes, ma'am."

"What about our contacts in Europe?"

"Nothing until now, but we don't have enough men over there to cover every airport and harbor."

'No, Manticore can't, of course, but perhaps I can', Renfro thought. Lydecker had sent teams to Europe before, so why shouldn't he try and hide there now? She would take care of that.

"Continue your search. Now get out!"

Sandoval was quick to obey; being around Renfro was always dangerous but since Lydecker and the others had fled it was like permanently running the gauntlet. As soon as he had left Renfro let out an angry and frustrated hiss. Not only was the committee after her ever since Lydecker and a whole team – a whole team! – of trained X-series had escaped but the council was worried as well and wanted to have the rogue X5s and all who were with them destroyed; except for X5-452 and the X7, of course. And her jaw still hurt although it had been fixed. If she ever got her hands on Lydecker again she would make sure he would suffer beyond imagination before his death.

* * *

The first thing she felt when she woke up was a splash of icy water on her face. Startled she opened her eyes and swore. Then she got aware of a grinning young man in uniform looking down at her.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty. Time to wake up!"

"I swear to god, Mike" Max hissed and wiped the cold liquid from her face, "if you ever do that again you can kiss some very important body parts of yours goodbye!"

"That's Lieutenant Linder for you. And you said that the last time already" he said and his grin grew even wider while he offered her a helping hand. Still scowling at him she took it and stood up. Almost immediately she felt dizzy again and stumbled but Mike held her and made sure she wouldn't fall again until she felt safe to stand on her own again.

"Those stun shots are a real bitch" she muttered and looked around. It was early in the morning and they were at the small mountain lake near Fortress Delta. The other X5s were lying unconsciously on the grass and it looked like the rest of Mike's platoon – who had been playing the part of their 'enemies' during the training mission – was about to wake them up and Max could see they used the same method Mike had used on her. A few minutes and some rather harsh curses and maledictions later Max's siblings were on their feet again.

"How the hell" Wolf began after some seconds "did you know where we would attack? That entrance hasn't been used in years!"

All twelve X5s looked at Mike expectantly but he just shook his head.

"Company secret" was all he said.

"Yeah, right!" Jace snorted. "Come on, how did you do it?"

"Maybe I'll tell you another time" the young man grinned but before any of the former Manticore soldiers could say anything he continued. "Okay, cut it. We have to be back for the debriefing in four hours so I suggest we use the time to relax for a change. Cedric, get a fire going and set perimeter guards. And the rest of you; clean your equipment and the weapons. And then I suggest we eat something, I'm starving."

About half an hour later the twelve X5s and seven SRTU soldiers – or Deltas, as they called themselves – were sitting around a fire, talking, laughing and just enjoying the fact that they had nothing to do for once. One would have thought they were just a group of hikers if not for the weapons and the military equipment. Max just sat there, staring into the flames with a quiet smile and listening to the conversations going on around her. Her thoughts travelled back to the events that had taken place three weeks ago when they had arrived here.

* * *

"_And you are sure nobody followed you?" Wolf's voice was tense and just like the rest of his siblings he kept looking out for any possible enemy that might have followed them and just waited for his chance to report back to Renfro; a difficult task in a terminal as busy as the one at the airport of Geneva._

"_Yeah, I'm sure" Kyla insisted. Her group had been the last to arrive and while she could understand her partner's concern she almost felt a little bit insulted he thought she wouldn't have noticed if one of Renfro's men had followed them. They had made it out of the United States and to Switzerland without problems and until now it really looked like they'd got rid of that witch and her spawns for the moment. But they knew they couldn't let their guard down._

_Suddenly a young man in civilian clothing and with cropped short brown hair approached them. Max noticed how Wolf and Kyla breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed a little bit herself; so this was their contact. The young man looked at all of them and frowned when he saw Kara. The young X7 returned his stare without showing any emotion and Max had to hold back a laugh upon seeing the confused expression on the man's face; apparently nobody had told him that a child would be with them. Nevertheless their contact regained his composure almost immediately._

"_I'm Lieutenant Mike Linder, Delta two-six" the young man informed them. "Who of you is Colonel Lydecker?"_

"_I am" Lydecker answered calmly and took a step forward._

"_Is your team complete, sir?"_

"_Yes, we all made it."_

"_Very good" Linder nodded shortly. Max didn't know why but he seemed nervous. "Follow me!"_

_Without waiting for an answer he turned around and started walking, obviously not wanting to waste any time. Wolf and Kyla grabbed their bags and followed him without question; that was all it took for the rest of the transgenics to follow as well and Lydecker and his men did as well. On their way outside Max suddenly noticed several men and women who glanced in their direction from time to time but somehow just didn't belong there._

"_Are those your men?" Wolf asked Linder and the brown-haired man nodded._

"_We had some difficulties since you were here last time, Wolf" he answered briskly. "They're here for your security. I'll explain it later."_

_Wolf just nodded and they continued walking until they left the terminal and were out on the airfield again. Three Cougar helicopters in camouflage color guarded by a dozen soldiers were waiting for them. Without explanation Linder divided them in three groups and only minutes later the helicopters took off towards the mountains._

_Max was in the first one, together with Wolf, Kyla and Bear. Linder was there, too, and she could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't feeling comfortable at all, looking out of the small window all the time and searching the ground below them for something. And she wasn't the only one who noticed._

"_Not to be rude, Mike" Kyla shouted over the noise of the helicopter's engine, "but what's going on?"_

"_We were attacked a few days ago" the young Lieutenant replied without looking at her. "Almost cost us a whole group. I'll feel better when we're back home."_

"_Attack? From whom?"_

"_What do you think?" Linder answered and finally looked at her, giving her a strange smirk. "I'll explain when we're home."_

_The rest of the flight passed in silence and when they finally arrived at Fortress Delta Max was as surprised as Wolf and Kyla had been the first time when suddenly the seemingly solid ground beneath them moved and revealed the huge hidden hangar of the fortress. One after the other the three Cougars landed safely inside the complex and Mike Linder finally seemed to relax. When the doors opened the all jumped out of the helicopter and the whole team including Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden with Max's X7 clone at his side gathered around Lydecker._

"_Okay" the Lieutenant began "first of all welcome to my country and to Fortress Delta. I'd like to apologize for my recent behavior but we're all a little bit nervous at the moment. Those are Sergeant Mark and Corporal Dehler. They will show you your rooms while I'll inform Colonel Meyer of your arrival. There will be a briefing in two hours where all your questions will be answered. I'm really sorry for the rather unpleasant greeting, I hope you'll understand."_

"_No problem, Lieutenant" Lydecker assured the younger man and then turned to the X5s. "Well, you heard it. Wolf, Kyla, lead the way, you've been here before."_

"_Understood, sir."_

"_Sir?" The one man Lieutenant Linder had referred to, Sergeant Mark, stepped forward. "Follow me, please."_

_Two hours later they all sat in one of the briefing rooms and waited for Colonel Meyer, the commander of Fortress Delta, and Lydecker to arrive. Max was still trying to wrap her mind around all the things she had seen since they had arrived. This bunker wasn't just a military installation; it was almost an underground copy of the Manticore facility in Wyoming. They had been given quarters next to each other in one of the vacant parts of the fortress and on their way there she had seen many things that reminded her of the facility near Gilette in a very weird and awkward way. And she was sure she hadn't even seen half of this installation._

_Before she could ponder any longer about the blatant similarity of Manticore and Fortress Delta the door opened and Meyer and Lydecker appeared. Every man and woman in the room jumped on their feet and snapped at attention._

"_At ease" Meyer ordered with a stern but still almost low voice. "Have a seat."_

_They all complied and then looked at the commanding officer of this base who seemed to be about the same age as Lydecker and wore a similar facial expression; concentrated and determined._

"_My name is Colonel Meyer, I am the commander of Fortress Delta, as most of you probably know already. And I'm fairly sure you all know that this is the headquarters of the SRTU, the Silent Response and Tactical Unit. I have agreed to allow you to stay here although you all are traitors, at least if you believe the official statement of your military. Why I did so is not of your concern and I assure you you'll have to leave as soon as you start making trouble, I hope I made myself clear."_

_After this more than explicit warning Meyer paused for a moment and looked at all of them before he continued._

"_Now, I'm sure you have a lot of questions but I have to discuss this with Colonel Lydecker first and I'm also quite sure you need some time to recover. If you need anything ask Lieutenant Linder. You are free to move around the base except for the restricted areas which are guarded. Don't try to enter there; the guards have very clear instructions to hold back anybody without the correct clearance, if necessary with deadly force. Get some rest; as far as I know you deserve it. Are there any questions that cannot wait until tomorrow?"_

_He paused for some seconds but nobody spoke up. "Very well. Lieutenant Linder, take care of our guests. Dismissed! Deck, care for a walk?"_

"_Not at all, Chris" Lydecker replied and while unit two followed Mike Linder out of the room the two old officers had disappeared into the maze of corridors, remembering old times and discussing the current situation._

* * *

That had been three weeks ago and since then much had changed. Max and her siblings had learned about Fortress Delta, the SRTU and its soldiers, their origin and history. They were transgenics, just like she and the others were. Not even Meyer knew exactly how but apparently information about the Manticore project had been leaked to the Europeans in the late nineties and upon learning about the possibility of creating enhanced infantry soldiers the British together with Germany, France and Switzerland had created their own Manticore. Each country had at least one base like Fortress Delta but nowadays they hardly ever contacted each other, feeling more comfortable to keep their business to themselves.

There were however two significant differences between the Deltas and the X5s.

First of all the Deltas had been created primarily for combat missions. They were stronger and faster than the average X5. In a direct fight only Blade, Kyla and Wolf were able to keep up with them. On the other hand the Manticore transgenics were better when it came to missions like infiltration or information search.

And second – and that was something that bothered Max and her siblings to no end – was the fact that the Europeans had been able to create their soldiers without the flaws the X5s had to deal with. They had no seizures, no heat. When the British got their hands on the information about Manticore they were able to get rid of those problems just like it had been done with the X6 and X7 series. The seizures were not a problem at the moment – Meyer made sure they got enough tryptophan – but Max dreaded her next heat and she knew the other female X5s did as well.

Meyer had been reluctant to give them too much information about the SRTU's past but Mike and most of his soldiers didn't mind their questions and had answered rather freely. Max quickly glanced at the young Lieutenant and had to admit that she liked him. He – and the other Deltas too – had welcomed them as if they were long lost relatives; which they were after all, in some weird way. They had befriended rather quickly and after one week the X5s and Deltas acted as if they had known each other for a long time. Perhaps it was because they shared a similar fate; they all were genetically enhanced soldiers, protecting a world who didn't even know they existed and people who would probably be disgusted if finding out about them. Whatever it was, if felt nice to have a place where you are welcome and where people understood what you are and what it meant to be an enhanced killing-machine nobody knows about.

And while Fortress Delta seemed to be just like Manticore hidden underground that had only been her first impression. Sure, the Deltas trained and lived in the giant bunker and the training areas and classrooms looked just like she knew it from the Wyoming facility but other than that there were many differences.

First of all the quarters were much more comfortable than what the X5s had known for their entire life. Sure, still military style but more comfortable. Every platoon had its own section with showers, a training room and – and that had been a major surprise for the Manticore soldiers – a rec room. When Mike had first showed them theirs they hadn't believed their eyes. It wasn't much; three armchairs and two couches, a table and chairs and a small stereo. Unlike the rest of the base and their quarters which were – while better than in Wyoming – definitely still military grey and cold this room seemed warm and peaceful. It almost reminded Max of her old apartment in Seattle and when she shared a look with Brin and Jondy she could clearly see they remembered their own time outside Manticore.

"Even our lives are not just about fighting and killing" Mike had said in a low voice upon seeing what impression this sort of luxury made on the X5s. It wasn't the furniture but the meaning of this room: Their superiors allowed them to have privacy, to have a room for themselves, something which didn't serve any military purpose. It meant that they weren't just soldiers but human beings. "Even we need to lie back once in a while."

Yes, Fortress Delta definitely was another place than Manticore. Sure, the soldiers were still drilled beyond imagination, the punishments were harsh and the discipline the Deltas showed was outstanding but if the work was done and the mission accomplished their superiors still allowed them to have small moments of peace and to be together like the family they were.

However, when Jondy had asked Mike about their missions and their past when he had been in the rec room with unit two a few days later he had become very serious in the blink of an eye. Jondy had already apologized and was afraid that she had asked something she wasn't supposed to know but Mike just shook his head and breathed deeply before he had told them about the SRTU's past. It hadn't been pretty.

Having been made for combat they had been deployed to the battlefield during the Russian-European war in 2014 at the age of thirteen or fourteen years. Mike didn't go into the details but they learned that after the war had ended one year later nine of the fifteen platoons the SRTU once had were destroyed. After that revelation nobody had spoken a word for several minutes until Mike had continued. Since the war the Deltas had been assigned missions much like the X5s; assassination, search and destroy, infiltration. They were probably not as good as the X5s in the last one but – as Mike noted with a casual smile – still good enough for most of the 'greedy and horny' ordinaries. That had finally broken the ice and since that day the Deltas and X5s had accepted each other almost as if they were part of the same unit.

"A penny for your thoughts, Max" Mike's voice suddenly brought her back to reality. She briefly looked at him and smiled.

"I was just thinking" she answered. "Much has happened since we arrived."

"Sure it has" he agreed and nodded. "But I hope it's mostly good things."

"If you call being knocked out twice by your damned stun shots a good thing" Alec interrupted and shot the Deltas who grinned broadly a nasty look. "Can't you just use paintballs like everybody else?"

"And where would be the fun?" another Delta – a blond woman – asked smirking.

"Fun? Did you just say fun?" Alec asked. "Those things hurt like hell! I'm sure I'm gonna have bruises again!"

He rubbed his chest as if to prove his words.

"Aww, poor baby" the Delta teased. "Want me to kiss it better?"

"Carol!" Mike shook his head before a grinning Alec could answer and sighed. "Stop flirting!"

"Just making fun, Ares, don't worry" Carol replied and winked at her leader.

"Yeah, right" he snorted. "By the way; I got hit by those things more often than you and I'm still alive. It's a good experience, it's more realistic. This was your second training mission against us and you get better. We know this terrain since we have been children and believe me; you're not the first ones who tried to enter through that entrance. We just have the home field advantage here but don't worry, one day you'll probably even win."

Alec mumbled something Max couldn't understand but Jondy who sat next to him suddenly hit him on the head.

"Ouch! Jondy, what the…" Alec exclaimed and shot Max's sister an annoyed glare. "Why do I always get hit? It's either you or Max! I'm not a punching bag!"

"Perhaps you just deserve it?" Kyla suggested with a mean smile. She was leaning against Wolf and they both looked very relaxed and happy. But of course Alec couldn't just let it be like that.

"What makes you say such a mean thing to one of your soldiers, Kyla?" he asked with mock hurt in his voice. "Do you already miss your bunk so much you have to hurt me?"

At the last sentence he shot both Wolf and Kyla suggestive glances and the rest of the unit grinned quietly. The relationship between their CO and 2IC was an open secret but usually nobody talked about it. Kyla opened her mouth to protest but before she could say anything Nova stepped in, not wanting this peaceful moment to be disturbed by an argument.

"You know, Alec" the blond medic said, "if I were you I wouldn't ask them too much about their privacy. Or to put it a little bit more bluntly: At least they get some, unlike somebody else."

At this several X5s and Deltas laughed out loud and Alec just shook his head like in defeat but he smiled at Nova and gave her a small nod. It was not like he didn't think Wolf and Kyla deserved their happiness, but he still was Alec; he had to tease people, it was just a part of himself.

After that short intermezzo everybody relaxed again and the young soldiers enjoyed their free time to the full. But like always this short period of happiness and recreation had to come to an end.

"_Delta unit one and X5 unit two"_ they all suddenly heard Colonel Meyer's voice over wireless. _"Abandon training mission and come back to Delta Fortress immediately."_

Everybody had tensed up upon hearing the Delta commander's voice. It sounded stern and tense. Either something had happened or they had finally received new orders. Wolf and Mike Linder aka Ares shared a brief look and both men nodded. An attack on the Delta Fortress was highly unlikely so there was only one other choice why Meyer would order them to come back at once.

They had to go to war again.

* * *

**Okay, not a bad cliffhanger. Perhaps I'm really getting old ;) Nah, don't think so.**

**Tell me what you think, please. Those of you who have known me for some time now know I always need motivation aka reviews :)**


	3. Ramstein

I know I takes some time these days until you get updates from me, sorry about that. Perhaps this week will be a little bit better, I'll do what I can.

**c00kieMonster:** Thanks for the review. Well, I think this cliffie wasn't so bad, but I had to warm up a little bit. More is to come ;)

**452max:** Sorry about the length, I had some kind of blockade lately, but I think I'm getting over it now. I have been thinking about the heat and I think I have some nice ideas there. We'll see. Thanks to you too.

**Divine Fighter:** Glad you still stick with me. There will be some more information about Mike Linder aka Ares in this chapter and I'll surely not forget about the rest of the Deltas. Thank you.

**roseyangel:** Well, you've been waiting long enough now, here is the update. Hope you like it ;)

**tylee17:** Nah, your brain is just working fine, I didn't pay much attention to the usual red line before this one here, I wanted to take it on slowly. But no more being nice now, they will go to work again, promise. Thanks to you too, tylee!

Okay, I know I've not been writing anything about Logan, OC and the others back in the US until now but I promise I did not forget them. Be a little bit patient and you're gonna see them soon enough.

Thanks to all of you!!!

* * *

Immediately after they arrived back at the Fortress they were ordered to the briefing room. Once there they were greeted by Lydecker and Colonel Meyer himself. Both men had a very serious but also determined look on their faces.

"Have a seat!" Meyer ordered and they silently obeyed. Once he was sure everybody was listening the older man continued. "As you know we have been watching several locations where this new enemy of yours could be hiding. Two hours ago one of our recon teams has checked in and reported to have found something concerning our cyborg friends."

The big screen behind him came to live, showing satellite footage of something that looked like an old and small military base. Three barracks and a main building surrounded by a perimeter fence, that was all.

"This has been taken thirty minutes ago. It shows a small compound outside of what has once been the US airbase of Ramstein, Germany. Officially it has been sold to a small US American company who is into biological and pharmaceutical research. Now, this has been sent to us by the recon team before they had to abandon their post to avoid detection."

The image changed and it showed footage from a hand camera, approximately five hundred meters away from the compound. The image zoomed in. It wasn't good quality but still the transgenics could make out several guards patrolling the perimeter. They wore equipment which was standard for a security service but the fact that they all carried the newest sort of guns and their numbers were more than enough to make every transgenic in the room suspicious. But still they were just guards standing sentinel over a research facility.

"What makes you think it's them?" Max spoke out loud what all of them thought.

"We have been monitoring their radio traffic" Lydecker answered for Meyer. He had been integrated in most of the operational decisions, at least as far as it concerned their enemy and Manticore. "It's heavy, much too heavy for a simple research facility. We have not been able to hack their encryption yet but until now there have been several messages that went to the United States, six of them we could track to Gilette, Wyoming."

"Manticore", Kyla said grimly and a mean smile flickered on her lips.

"Exactly" Meyer nodded. "Because of the heavy radio traffic we assume that this is one of their radio relay stations. We need intel about this organization so you will infiltrate that base, get your hands on whatever information you can find and get out again. Without being detected."

"Why's that?" Bear wanted to know. "You were able to take out there base in St. Vincent with almost no casualties and that one was far more heavily guarded. Even if the guards have been augmented it would be no problem for our unit to take them out."

"First of all we don't know yet how many men are stationed at this outpost" Meyer explained calmly "and I will not take the risk of sending you or my men into a trap. Second, the last time we tried to capture intel about that organization the computer network was destroyed from somebody outside who learned about our attack; I don't want to happen that again. And third: There are also some slight…diplomatic problems."

"What do you mean, sir?" Blade looked at the older man a little bit surprised.

"Ramstein is in Germany" Lydecker answered for his friend, "Not in Switzerland. And while the German's have a facility similar to the SRTU they hardly ever contact each other, as you know."

"So you mean the Germans have no idea that we're coming" Wolf summarized and then nodded to the screen which showed the satellite footage of the enemy base again "or that you have operators deployed in their country at the moment."

"You got that right. The official way would take too much time and there's always the risk that something leaks out. We've done similar things in the past already and so have they" Meyer explained with a small smile. "Even if our German counterpart finds out about this they won't feel too offended so I decided to take a little bit less conventional course of action. I don't think you have a problem with that, do you?"

"Not at all, sir" Wolf denied, then leaned a little bit closer to Kyla and whispered: "Sneaky guy! I like him."

"I'm sure you do" she whispered back amused before they both returned their attention to the older officers.

"Still you must avoid detection at all cost" Meyer warned them sternly. "After our joint operation in Italy our neighbors have become a little bit nervous and while the German SRTU might not be a problem the official forces are. They don't know about you and if you get caught by them we will deny any sort of knowledge about you or your intentions. German and Switzerland have been allies for a very long time now and our government will not risk this alliance. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" a chorus of voices answered him.

"Very good. Ares and X5-451, you have four hours to develop a plan of action which I'll have to approve before you take any action. We must be quick now, this might be a unique chance and I don't want to waste it, got that?"

"Loud and clear, Colonel" Mike Linder aka Ares replied and Wolf just nodded.

"Dismissed.

* * *

Ten minutes later Lydecker and Meyer were standing outside the Fortress. Meyer was smoking and Lydecker just enjoyed the great view of the mountains laid out before him. It was a cool day, like most of the time so deep in the mountains.

"I'm taking a big risk here, Deck" Meyer finally said and exhaled. "My superiors have been informed about your current situation and while they don't intend to send you away immediately they don't like it. Your unit is considered to be deserters and we can't risk a confrontation with the United States."

"Do you want us to go?" Lydecker had dreaded this conversation ever since they had arrived at Fortress Delta and he understood his friend's worries. After the Pulse the United States had been crippled and even now, more than ten years later, they were but a shade of their former glory. But they were still a military force to be reckoned with and if necessary they would use whatever they had to take him and his team back home once they'd found out where they were hiding. To his slight surprise Meyer shook his head and chuckled.

"No, I don't. I understand why you had to do what you did and to be honest I would've done the same thing. I don't want you to go, but some people in Bern would like you out of this country yesterday. But that's politics."

Lydecker snorted. Politics. Meyer looked at him with an almost sad smile and sighed.

"Yes, I know. Life was easier when we knew who the enemy was. Like in Mog."

"Yeah, I remember" Lydecker nodded. In 1990 when he had been in the Delta Force of the US army he and O'Neill had been part of the attack team in Mogadishu. What had been planned to be a simple raid had turned out a fight for survival for the US forces and their allies. During night he had lost contact with his unit and stumbled across a sergent-chef from the paratroopers of the French Foreign Legion. Together they had made their way back to the US safe zone. That man had been Meyer and ever since that night the two officers had shared a deep respect for each other.

Meyer looked at him for some seconds before he nodded, too, and lit himself a new cigarette.

"One day those things are gonna kill you" Lydecker warned his friend.

"We all have to die" Meyer answered seriously. "And like that I don't feel bad if I don't reprimand my soldiers for smoking."

"Yeah, I know" Lydecker grinned. "Wolf and Kyla smoke from time to time, too, but they still think I don't know anything about it."

"What do you feel for your soldiers?" the Swiss Colonel suddenly wanted to know. Lydecker looked at him a little bit surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been there when they were born, you watched them grow up, you trained them. You don't want to tell me you see them just as your soldiers and subordinates, do you?" Meyer looked at him in a way that showed that he already knew the answer, or at least suspected to.

Finally, after about a minute of intense thinking Lydecker nodded.

"I've never had children, you know." His voice was quiet and a little bit bitter while his thoughts travelled back to his murdered wife. She had wanted children. "I don't know what I'm feeling for them, but you're right, I don't just consider them as soldiers, not anymore. But I can't show or tell them; I don't think they would understand. It would only confuse and unsettle them, two things that would jeopardize them in battle. To be honest; I don't really know what they mean to me. Perhaps it is better if I don't."

"I understand" Meyer replied. It had taken him some time to admit to himself what his Deltas meant to him but he knew it would do no good if he pressed his American friend. Lydecker had to find out himself. "God knows I understand."

For a while the two old and war-torn soldiers stood there in silence, watching their peaceful surroundings until Meyer had finished his cigarette.

"Come on" the Swiss said. "Let's get some sleep before the young people are ready to go again. I swear to you one day I'm gonna kill the one that had the idea to implant them with shark DNA. You never get to relax around them."

Lydecker just grinned and followed his friend back into the bunker.

* * *

_Three days later – former Ramstein airbase, Germany_

"Have I already mentioned that I hate this weather?" Blade growled and shuddered slightly. Her four siblings looked at her and grinned although they could perfectly understand their sister's mood. It was raining cats and dogs and while they were able to ignore that fact as soldiers their feline DNA made them detest the constant downpour.

"Several times, Blade" Jondy chuckled, "several times."

"It's not that bad, you know" Max stated. "Or are you just missing Ares so bad already?"

She shot the Asian X5 a sly grin. Everybody had noticed how Blade and the Swiss Delta operator had started to act differently towards each other during the last few days, but of course they both denied it whenever the topic was brought up, this night was no exception.

"Shut up, Max!" Blade growled warningly but Max's smile just grew even wider before she returned her attention towards the small complex they were about to infiltrate. They – meaning herself, Jondy, Blade, Kyla and Wolf together with Ares – had arrived earlier that day at the outskirts of the former Ramstein airbase after a three day journey through Switzerland and Germany. After they'd established contact with the SRTU recon team on site they had gotten into their attack positions quite quickly and now they waited for their chance to strike.

Although attack positions was not quite the correct expression; they wanted to get in there and out again without anybody noticing them, at least not until they had the data they needed, so the recon team with Mike Linder – or Ares, as they had started to call him – and two snipers waiting about a hundred meters behind them was only meant to observe their target and to cover their retreat if absolutely necessary. They had to get in the main building of the small complex without alerting their enemies or they would risk that somebody from outside would destroy the computer network again before they got their hands on the information they so desperately needed.

"_Wolf, this is Ares"_ they all suddenly heard the Swiss soldier's voice over wireless. He was observing the complex as he had a much better view from his position. _"They're about to relieve the guards. Thirty seconds, over."_

"Roger that" Wolf replied calmly, "thirty seconds, over."

"_Roger, correct. Over and out."_

Max briefly remembered a short conversation she'd had with Ares, who she had first come to know as Mike Linder, after their mission briefing at Fortress Delta.

"_Why do they call you Ares?" Max wanted to know while she prepared her equipment. "I thought your name was Mike Linder?"_

_He looked up from assembling his SIG 554 assault rifle and smiled briefly._

"_Mike Linder is just the name I use towards outsiders. Apart from my designation Delta two-six my real name – as far as you would call it like that – is Ares. My unit gave it to me when I was fourteen. We all got our names from our siblings; I assume it was the same in your unit, right?"_

"_Yes, it was" Max answered and looked at him with a thoughtful expression. She knew his unit had been involved in the Russian-European War when he had been fourteen. "Ares, the Greek god of warfare and bloodlust; a very special name. How did you get it?"_

"_Long story" he replied and returned his attention to his weapon. "Perhaps I'll tell you another time."_

Max had felt that there had been something he didn't want to tell her but she didn't ask him about it any further. After all, they had only known each other for a couple of weeks, it was only natural he didn't want to share every detail about his life with the Americans already. Nevertheless Max knew she could trust their new allies and she was confident they were up to their task.

As she slowly counted down the thirty seconds she felt how her body started to prepare itself for the upcoming action. Her heartbeat rose, her breathing became faster and she could almost taste the adrenalin in her blood. Beside her she felt how Jondy and Blade grew more and more impatient themselves, waiting anxiously for Ares' signal.

"_Ten seconds"_ Ares announced.

Her whole body tensed up as she readied herself to jump up. They had to be really quick this time, the only few seconds where nobody would see them was when the guards were relieved which left them painfully little time to make it over the perimeter fence and into the main building.

"_Five"_

"_Four"_

Max felt how her grin grew into a feral snarl as she felt the predator within her knocking on the door. It had been long since her last real mission and although she would never say it out loud she had missed the action and the hunt; it was just her nature.

"_Three"_

"_Two"_

"Good luck!" Kyla whispered. She and Wolf would remain in this position to provide cover if needed.

"_One"_

"_Go, go, go!"_

They didn't need to be told twice. The three transgenic women jumped up from their cover and darted towards the perimeter fence as fast as they could, their black uniforms making them almost invisible. They leaped over the fence and continued to run towards the main building.

"_The new guards arrive_" Ares tense voice came over wireless just when they arrived at the steel entry door. _"Hurry!"_

Jondy and Blade secured Max to the left and the right while she tried to open the door with a picklock, almost feeling like back in her days as a cat burglar for a tiny moment. Suddenly she could hear the footsteps of one of the guards approaching.

"_They're coming"_ Wolf warned them. _"Open that door, dammit!"_

"What do you think I'm trying to do here?" Max whispered angrily just when the lock finally clicked and the door opened. "Done!"

The three transgenics slipped into the building and closed the door just when the guard rounded the corner. Max was sure to hear a collective sigh of relief from the whole team once they were inside.

"That was close" Jondy said quietly and Max and Blade could only nod. After a few seconds Blade signaled them to follow her while she took the lead of their little group. The tricky part was yet to come.

They stealthily made their way through the maze of corridors and rooms, always on the edge. If somebody would surprise them they had to get rid of him quickly. They had no idea where to find the communication center with the computer network but they were used to improvising and that was just what they did.

Several times they had to hide from a guard patrolling the inside of the building or just somebody looking for a late night coffee to make his shift a little bit more bearable. After about twenty minutes of prowling it looked like they were finally about to get closer to their target. From inside a room came the unmistakable sounds of several computers. Blade risked a glimpse and grinned like a predator which had found its prey and she nodded at her two fellow soldiers.

'_One guard, two at the terminals'_ she silently signaled and Max and Jondy just nodded and readied themselves. They had to finish them quickly and without a sound. If they were found after they had made the download there was no problem but if somebody got the chance to destroy the network like it had been done in St-Vincent all their work would have been for nothing.

Blade drew a deep breath and then without a warning she stormed into the room.

The first guard didn't even get enough time to react before the Asian X5 had cut his throat and threw him against the wall. The other two managed to stand up from their terminals but one was killed by Blade before he could draw his weapon and the last one was shot by Jondy, the silencer on her gun making sure nobody would hear anything.

Without a word Max and Blade took positions in front of the door, making sure nobody would surprise them while Jondy got to work. Within seconds she had connected one of the terminals with her external hard drive and started typing in several commands, then she frowned when the computer denied her access. But like so many times before she just grinned and shot the screen an almost pitying look. Electronic files were sometimes really hard to hack but computers themselves were so rational it usually never took her too much time to get what she wanted.

And this time was no exception. Within minutes she got access to the hard drive and started downloading the data; encrypted or not, once they were back at Fortress Delta she would have more than enough time to worry about that. It took five minutes until she got it all and yanked the external hard drive from the terminal again.

"Ready" was all the brown-haired transgenic said to her companions and without a further word the three X5s left the room.

"We're coming out" Max announced when they approached the exit door. "Are we clear?"

"_Hold on"_ Wolf ordered. _"Ares?"_

"_Four more minutes to the next guard relief"_ they heard Ares voice. _"Hold your position."_

"Is he kidding?" Jondy hissed. "We can't just stay here for four minutes! We'll be sitting ducks!"

"Be quiet!" Blade growled. She had been given command of their little team and she was not about to bust this operation out of impatience. "If Ares says it's not clear out there then we will wait, got it?"

After a second of hesitation Jondy nodded but when Blade turned towards the still closed exit door again she looked at Max, nodded towards the Asian woman and then winked at her sister, grinning, like to say: _'See?'_

Max just grinned back, knowing exactly that her sister was referring to Blade's reaction when Jondy questioned Ares' decision.

Finally, after four long minutes of impatient and nervous waiting, they got the order.

"_Blade, this is Ares; you are clear. Get out of there now!"_

The three female transgenics opened the door and sprinted towards their waiting siblings, always hoping there was no hidden shooter or spotter who would detect them. But tonight they were lucky. No shot sounded, no shouts could be heard. They made it over the fence and to the anxiously waiting Kyla and Wolf.

"You got it?" Kyla wanted to know immediately after they had arrived.

"Sure as hell I do!" Jondy whispered.

"Okay, let's get out of here" Wolf decided. "Ares, mission accomplished, we're pulling out!"

"_Roger that"_ came the Delta soldier's relieved reply. _"See you back at the safe house."_

* * *

_Washington DC, secret location – half an hour later_

"…all of our bases are on high alert and we have deployed more recon teams. It should only be a question of time until we find them." The man in a black suit and tie ended his report and sat down. Renfro looked at him with barely hidden contempt. In her eyes Cullins was not qualified for his task and she was sure there would have been better choices than him, but apparently somebody in the council thought he could do it.

She let her eyes wander over the half-dozen council members, the leaders of their organization. They all were high-ranking well respected and known persons in the military and the politics in Washington and nobody outside the inner circle would have suspected them to be the highest ranking members of the most powerful secret organization in the United States, perhaps even the world. It had taken her more than ten years until she finally got to see them the first time, at a council meeting just like this one, meetings which were only held in times of great danger.

"A question of time, Major Cullins" one of the council members agreed and nodded but his voice was hostile and Renfro was sure Cullins, who had been put in charge of the search for Lydecker and unit two, was in for some serious reprimands. She was right. "But how much time? We can't afford to have a rogue transgenic unit somewhere out there. They could attack us at any second and our organization cannot afford that."

"We have made up for our losses in St.-Vincent" Cullins answered. "Our military and operational power is bigger than ever and with Director Renfro in charge of Manticore's main facility in Wyoming we don't have to worry about the American X-series anymore, so we have enough free units now to intensify our search for Lydecker and those who are with him."

"Speaking of Manticore" the council's leader – a man with white hair and a serious, almost threatening aura – spoke up and looked at her "What do you think, Director Renfro? Do you agree with Major Cullins?"

"No, sir, I don't" she replied and stood up. "First of all I think you underestimate Colonel Lydecker, Major Cullins. This man is a very experienced officer and tactician and he is loyal to his country. If he believes – and I think he does – that we are a threat to the United States he will do whatever he can to stop us."

"And I thought you hated him" Cullins tried to tease her, not pleased with their disagreement.

"The fact that I hate him does not mean I can't admit his skills, Major" Renfro replied coldly before she looked at the council members once again. "Furthermore our tests have proved that our TAC soldiers are no match for transgenic X5s, at least not in an open and direct battle."

"I thought that had been taken care of with the augmentations?" another council member – a woman in her late forties – snarled.

"Physically our soldiers are on a similar level like the X-series" Renfro nodded "but don't forget that the transgenics have been trained their whole life to be soldiers. They have been soldiers for a longer time than our men and that just gives them several small advantages like better stealth, combat experience and so on. In addition the transgenics have far more superior senses. It's not a big advantage but as I said: In a direct battle of one of our men against an X5 the X5 will most likely win."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"We should call back all our recon teams." Renfro felt a little bit nervous. She knew many of her organization's leaders would not like that. "We won't find them, they're just too well trained and experienced, so we call back all of our forces and wait for their next attack. Like this all of our bases will receive additional support and will most likely be able to stop any sort of attack and once we know where they hit we can track them back to their base of operations and wipe them out once and for all."

"That's suicide!" Cullins exclaimed and jumped up. "We know where they are most likely hiding, goddammit! The European SRTU are Lydecker's only hope. Only they will perhaps believe him."

"Yeah, most likely they are hiding with the SRTU" Renfro hissed. How did such an incompetent moron get in this position? "Most likely! And what if they are not? What if we attack and they are not there? The SRTU would be out for revenge, we would have to deal with them several years before we are ready and together their forces are considered to be several times as big as Manticore's!"

"That's enough!" the head of the council barked and waited for them to calm down before he looked at Renfro again. "Do we know where the SRTU have their bases?"

"We know about the British and the German base" the blond director of the Gilette facility replied. "And about the Swiss training facility. But we know nothing about the Swiss and the French main facility."

The council members looked at each other and exchanged some whispered words before they straightened up again.

"We understand your point, Director Renfro, but we don't think it would be wise to withdraw all our recon teams. But we won't do anything to attract the SRTU's attention, not before we know more about them. I know we have not paid much attention to them during the last years as they've never been of major interest to our organization, but perhaps now they are and we need to know what we are dealing with. We order you to…"

Without a warning the door flew open and a guard appeared, deadly pale and in an obvious hurry.

"What do you think you're doing!?" the council's leader shouted angrily. "This is a council meeting!"

"I'm sorry, sir" the man replied out of breath and made his way towards the council members without looking at Renfro or Cullins. He handed a sheet of paper to the council leader. "This has been sent to us two minutes ago from Ramstein, sir."

The council leader frowned and took the sheet. If a mere guard dared to interrupt a council meeting it had to be really important. He started reading in silence and after he had finished he was as pale as a ghost.

"Oh my God!" Everybody in the room tensed up upon hearing their leader's shocked voice. He stared at the paper in his hands for a few more seconds before he finally looked up. "There has been an unauthorized download in our base in Ramstein. It was none of our personnel."

Elizabeth Renfro gasped for air. Ramstein was a code four comm station which meant they had no information classified higher than level 3 – no data about their personnel, operations or agents – but still; whoever had made this download had now all the information about their base's locations all around the world. And there was no doubt who was responsible for this.

* * *

**Okay, I know this looks like Renfro got her ass kicked. While it may look like a good thing at the moment...those who have known me for some time now know: It's not.**

**I'll try to give you more information about the 'organization' in the next update.**

**And of course I'll try to update as soon as I can, I really think it will be possible this week.**

**So, you know what to do, right?**

**Correct: Motivation aka reviews ;)**


	4. Doubt

Here I am again. Yay, I'm getting faster. Hope I can keep this up.

Well, not much to say, it's a more calm chapter despite that you'll get a glimpse of Renfro's character.

**452max:** Sooner than last time, as I promised. There is a little bit of Alec and Max, but not much yet, at least on the emotional level. You'll have to be patient with me here, you know I like to take on those things slowly. Thanks again.

**tylee17:** No offense taken. As a matter of fact I'm glad you mentioned that. I'll try to keep it in mind, but perhaps one little scene in this chapter will help with that fact a little bit already ;) And you'll get to see a little bit of Logan in this one too. Yeah, Lydecker's really getting it. A little bit slowly, as usual, but hey, we all know how he feels about his kids, right? Oh, and before I forget, tylee: reviews can never be too long! :) Thanks a lot to you, too.

**Divine Fighter:** Well, if you think Renfro was evil in the last chapter I believe you're really gonna hate her after this one. And a name for Max? Hm, never thought about it actually. Interesting thought, we'll see about that. And yes, as I said to tylee 17: Of course he loves them, dammit. You could clearly see throughout the show. But hey, he's a man AND a soldier, so he must be a little bit slow, right? Just kidding! Thanks to you, too.

Okay, nothing more to add, here we go.

* * *

"We must take immediate action!" Cullins insisted. "The download has taken place not even an hour ago, they must still be close to the Ramstein facility! If we are lucky we can get them before they leave the country!"

Renfro listened to him attentively. While she didn't like the man - she didn't like any sort of soldier, to be honest - she had to acknowledge that he hadn't wasted time in discussing possible ways of action after the first shock of the council leader's announcement; instead he was trying to persuade the council that an immediate armed response was the only possibility with a conviction that almost earned him Renfro's interest. Almost.

The blond Director of the Wyoming Manticore facility hadn't said a word since the heated discussion had started almost immediately after the first wave of shock had faded away and instead had been sitting still and listened to the various opinions and plans that were shouted inside their meeting room.

"Sir!" Cullins tried again, addressing the council's head directly. "Authorize me to take command of our TAC teams in Germany and I will start the search immediately. They won't have gotten far until now and our forces in that area are more than powerful enough to deal with a transgenic unit."

The white-haired man looked at him for a few seconds until he nodded.

"Very well, Major, in that case I order you to…"

"Sir!" Renfro interrupted him and rose from her chair; an unthinkable breach of protocol and the surprised and angry glances she received from everybody in the room told her that she was walking on very thin ice. But she had to stop this. "Sir, with all due respect, but I don't think we should do that!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" one of the other council members exclaimed. "We have to get that data back before any transgenic even gets a chance to look at it!"

"It is already too late for that." Renfro shook her head. "I don't want to offend you. You are the leaders of our Alliance and if you order me to stand down and let Major Cullins here play cops and robbers I will do so, but honestly I still think you are underestimating the transgenics power and experience."

"And perhaps you are overestimating them!" Cullins shouted. "Perhaps all that time with them in Manticore has made you soft?"

"You egoistic, unseasoned, selfish amateur!" For the first time Renfro now finally lost it and screamed at the young Major as well. "I've been dealing with those beasts long before you even knew something like a genetically enhanced soldier existed. I don't know how you got in your position and I honestly couldn't care less if you were not constantly trying to get us from one big mess into an even bigger one. The only time you've seen a transgenic was probably while it was behind bars or on a picture but never in combat. You have no damned idea what you're dealing with and it's finally time to realize that and let those take over who actually know what they're doing! And now shut the hell up!"

Everybody in the room had fallen silent at the sudden outburst. They all knew the blond director as a cold and calculating tactician. Sure, she was dangerous but she was it in a calm and almost silent way, never before had anybody witnessed her in such a fit of rage. She was deathly pale, her eyes were wide and if looks could kill Cullins would not only be lying dead on the floor but his body parts would have been scattered all around the room. But obviously the young Major was more courageous or more stupid than it was good for him and after a few seconds of surprise he opened his mouth to protest but Renfro cut him off, her voice but a mere whisper again but deadly cold and as sharp as broken glass.

"Be quiet now, Major!" she ordered him almost whispering, which made her voice sound even more dangerous after her outburst. "Sit down and be quiet. And if you ever again suggest I could have developed some kind of affection towards those…those _abominations_ I will kill you!"

It wasn't her words that let Cullins finally obey. It was the hatred. Her eyes, voice and composure were full of it; pure, burning hatred against the transgenics and anyone who was helping them. Renfro shot him a last threatening look before she turned towards the council members again. She knew she was playing a dangerous game but this had to be done and it had to be done now.

"Honored council" she began, her voice calm and composed again as if nothing had happened. "We won't catch them. As I said before they are too well trained and far too experienced. Even if we could find out where they are heading they will most certainly notice their pursuers and just go into hiding. It may buy us a day or two until they get back to their base of operations, but nothing more. And even if one of our teams could find them on their way out; such an operation requests at least five transgenic soldiers and we don't have the manpower in Europe to send out enough teams of nine or more men which would be necessary to guarantee success in case of a direct confrontation. We don't even know if it's just the rogue X5 unit or if they have support from the SRTU and if yes if it is the German SRTU or another one. I strongly suggest we do not split up our forces for a futile and ultimately dangerous hunt which could us cost even more than this day already has."

"Then what do you suggest?" the council's leader wanted to know. He could feel most of the other council members wanted to punish Renfro for her improper behavior but he knew better; it had been him who had brought her into the inner circle. He knew about her skills and he was well aware of her experience with the transgenics. If she thought they should not try and get the lost data back then she had a good reason and a plan.

"We wait" the blond director of Manticore replied, smiling evilly. "The data won't give them anything they can use against us directly. But it will show them where we keep the separated information cores. They will come for them and when they are we will be ready. We have enough time to set up an impenetrable net of surveillance and so we will be warned and ready for Lydecker and his X5s."

"To what end, Director? Even if we can surprise them we can't be sure we'll be able to neutralize all of them."

"We don't have to" Renfro explained. "Unit two has been on the run for months by now. With Manticore they lost the only thing they ever had as a home and I'm sure they are tired of running and hiding, even X5s can only take so much and the constant stress must have had some effect on them by now. And there are three '09 escapees with them; they surely think about how it would be to end their futile crusade against us, live the lives they had before they were recaptured again and perhaps they will even try to leave their unit. The only thing we have to do is to destroy their morale and that's easy enough if you think about how they consider each other as siblings. One or two of them dead and they'll probably break apart. The driving force behind all of this are Lydecker and the X5 unit two. The only possible allies they could find are the European SRTUs and I doubt they will do anything on their own once Lydecker and his soldiers have stopped their attempt to destroy us; there is simply no reason to do so because until today our organization has never attacked them and they don't know about our ultimate goal. One devastating blow against their morale and we can forget about all of this or if we want pick them off one by one once they've broken apart."

Every council member was looking at her now with interest and the longer the more with a slight approval. The white-haired leader looked around and finally nodded.

"It seems you really did your job, Director. So be it. We trust your superior experience with the X-series and Colonel Lydecker. Major Cullins, close down all outposts we can do without for the moment and relocate whatever forces we can spare to the rest of our bases, primarily to the two Core Facilities. Let's set a trap and hope those cats fall into it. In the mean time we have to find out as much as we can about the SRTU. I have a feeling we have neglected them a little bit too long."

* * *

Max impatiently waited, staring at the screen before her. When the code was finally accepted and the video connection established she couldn't help but grin when she saw his face on the screen.

"Didn't I tell you that you look better without this designer stubble?"

_"You might have mentioned it once"_ Logan answered smiling, _"but you know me: Little changes make life interesting."_

"Sure it does" she agreed. "How are you?"

_"I can't complain. Sometimes I'm a little bit bored. Taking down the bad guys has become almost easy since Lydecker isn't trying to hunt me down anymore. But don't tell him that!"_ Max laughed quietly at that. That was just pure Logan. He had Renfro probably moving heaven and earth to find him but he still played his part as Eyes Only. He grinned as well._ "But I still miss the view from my apartment a little bit but, well, that'll have to wait a little while."_

"Why? Did Renfro try to get you?"

_"Not immediately, but today Bling noticed a few guys lurking around the Foggle Towers when he was passing by. Hey"_ he added quickly when he saw the sudden concern in her eyes even from the other end of the globe _"don't worry, I'm fine. They won't get me, we're all safe."_

During one of their first contacts over the internet he had told her that he and Bling had left his apartment for good only a day after Max and her unit had left the States and were staying in one of Eyes Only's safe houses. From time to time they changed their location just in case Renfro got a lead on them. Sometimes Asha or even OC were with them. Max invisibly cringed when as she thought about her friend and former roommate. She missed her, she missed so much she had to leave behind in Seattle.

"Max?" Even over all this distance Logan could see she was hurting. "Max, are you alright?"

"Yeah" she answered quickly but not trying to hide her emotional pain from him; he knew her just too well. "Yeah, I am. I just hope I'll be able to see you guys again one day, when all of this is over."

_"You will"_ he assured her kindly and somehow - the way he said it - she believed it. _"You'll get this done, you always do, don't worry. How are things going on anyway?"_

"Well, yesterday we came back from Germany" she replied. "Had to steal some data from one of their bases. It's encrypted but Jondy thinks she can hack it."

"If she doesn't, don't hesitate to send it to me."

"Thanks for the offer, but I think my big sister wants to get this done by herself."

"No pressure" he nodded. Being kind of a computer crack himself he could understand Jondy wanted to do this without his help. "But if necessary, you know where to mail it."

"Sure I do." A week after they had arrived at Fortress Delta Logan had contacted her through the base's computer network and told her how they could stay in touch. Colonel Meyer had breathed fire and brimstone when he learned about this security breach and how easily some civilest had broken through the bases electronic defences. He had only calmed down when Lydecker had sworn Logan was not a risk, being hunted by Renfro himself. Of course they had not told him that Logan was also the freelance cyber-journalist Eyes Only; that would have been a little bit too much. "I'll give her a few more hours and then we will see."

"That won't be necessary, Max." She turned around and got aware of Alec standing in her doorframe. He really was a perfect example for stealth; usually nobody managed to get into the room without her noticing it. "She just did it. Lydecker wants us in the Briefing Room ASAP."

"I'm coming" she answered briskly before she returned her attention to the computer screen and Logan. "Logan, I'm sorry, but…"

_"It's alright"_ he assured her, "_I know you're just doing what you have to do. Just be safe, will you?"_

"Of course I will." She smiled almost sadly at him. They were not together anymore - to be honest she was almost sure they had never been more than very close friends - but she was glad he could look at her and smile like he had done it before he had really learned what she was capable of. "See you soon, Logan. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Max!"

The connection was terminated and the screen went blank.

"Still thinking about him?" Alec wanted to know when she didn't turn around immediately. "Cute!"

She turned around sharply and shot him an angry glance. Why could he just never take anything seriously? She knew he had been kind of cranky when he had been told to stay behind during the Ramstein mission but it was not just that; lately he had started to act differently around her and she didn't know why, which bothered her. But today she was just not in the mood for his snide remarks.

"What do you care?" she snapped. Without waiting she wanted to storm out of the room but he held her back.

"Max, please wait."

"What? I thought Lydecker wants to see us?"

"I'm sorry, Max, I didn't want to mock you." To her surprise he sounded absolutely honest and when she looked at him all she could see in eyes was a slight worry. "Max, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I…I think I am" she answered after some seconds. "I'm just feeling quite confused in this matter sometimes. I still see Logan as a very dear friend and I often think about OC, Sketchy and all my other friends. And there is this other mess, too. I mean; I just got used to Manticore again and then we had to run. I had to leave everything I ever knew behind me and not just like before: We are on a different continent now, goddammit! Our own country is hunting us like animals, we have nowhere to go and…"

"Hey, Maxie, hey!" he tried to calm her. She had started to sound almost desperate and the look on her face told Alec she really was confused and insecure at the moment. He gently grabbed her by her shoulders. "Calm down, okay. Look at me. Come on, Max, look at me!"

He waited until she raised her head a little bit and he could look into her dark brown eyes. What he saw surprised him. She wasn't going to break down; those were not the eyes of a soldier that was close to losing it, but he could see a helplessness he had experienced before himself.

"We will make it, you hear me" he said. Despite his words his voice was gentle. "We will find a way out of this. Past Renfro, past those Cyborgs or whatever they are and past anybody else, if necessary even past Lydecker. I don't know yet how but we will make it. Got it?"

Eventually she nodded.

"I'm sorry" she said quietly, looking down at the floor again. Alec always made her feel insecure; she just didn't know how to handle him. One minute he could be a cynical ass and the other one he really seemed to care. "I can't explain why I'm feeling like that at the moment. I'm sorry, I know I'm acting like a stupid schoolgirl."

"It's okay" he reassured her. "We all have our doubts sometimes."

She still didn't look convinced so he did the only thing he could think about; he embraced her into a tight hug. She tensed up at first but then he could feel how her body relaxed and then her arms came around his upper body and she returned his gesture.

For about two minutes they stood like that, silent, neither of them wanting to disturb the peaceful moment. Alec knew what was going on inside that pretty head of hers. Soldiers often questioned their missions if they were outside for too long and under too stressful conditions. The lack of contact to your base, your superiors and perhaps even to your fellow soldiers could make it difficult to see the reason behind every mission, every battle and fight. It was nothing new, it wasn't even transgenic; since the first days of modern warfare it was a well-known symptom of soldiers who had been out in the fields of battle for too long.

But Alec also knew that there were simple countermeasures; closeness to people you knew was one of the best. Not that he didn't enjoy being near Max all the time but right now he hadn't any other intention than to make her feel a little bit better. Yes, their situation was complicated and yes they were going against a powerful and lethal enemy and they couldn't afford to make any mistake that didn't mean they should stop to look after each other like the family they were. And somewhere deep inside him Alec knew he would never stop looking out for Max although he couldn't really explain why.

After a few minutes it seemed to him like she had calmed down a little bit and he let go of her.

"Better?"

She nodded and for the first time since she had returned from Germany he saw a tiny smile on her lips.

"Yeah. Thank you, Alec."

"You're welcome, Maxie!"

"Don't call me that!" she growled warningly but unlike all the times before her voice seemed to be a little bit less aggressive and her eyes still held that slightly amused spark.

"Yes, ma'am!" He gave her a mock salute before he became half-serious again. "Okay, now come on. Don't want to be too late for that briefing or we'll be in trouble again."

* * *

"Our IT experts are still analyzing the data you brought with you from Ramstein" Meyer began without hesitation as soon as they had all arrived at the briefing room. "It will take us some time, probably a few days until we can give you another target, so you'll have time to prepare and relax."

At those words it seemed like there was a silent shiver going through the ranks of assembled X5s and Deltas. They didn't want to wait! They had to strike! Now!

But as the soldiers they were they remained quiet throughout the short briefing until Meyer dismissed them. Some went to the training areas, others to the shooting range and some were walking towards their quarters.

"What are you going to do?" Jondy wanted to know.

"Sleep" was Max only respond. She suddenly really felt tired.

"Hey, what's that?" Alec suddenly wanted to know and Wolf, Kyla, Jondy and Max followed his gaze and they saw Ares and Blade, walking towards one of the surface elevators, smiling and talking to each other calmly and seemingly feeling quite relaxed.

"Oh no!" Alec exclaimed in fake shock when he saw that. "Don't tell me we have another…"

Jondy used the only known but very effective question to shut him up before he could speak out loud what they all were thinking.

"Ouch!" Alec exclaimed when she hit him. "Jondy! How many times do I have to tell you to stop this! Wolf, I swear to you if she does that once again I can't be hold responsible for my actions!"

"What?" his CO grinned. "Can't handle a single girl anymore, Alec? You're really growing old!"

"Haha, very funny! No, but seriously. Are they together?"

"And what would be so bad about it?" Max wanted to know.

"Well…nothing…it's just…" For a moment the brown-haired transgenic was lost for words. But not for long. "Oh come on! I mean: Blade and Ares?"

"First of all, smart-aleck" Jondy began, "they were just talking."

"Yeah, and second" Kyla interjected, "even if they will do more; it's not our business. Most of all not yours, clear? Stay out of this or Blade will tear you to pieces."

"You're no fun, guys" Alec sighed.

"Oh" Kyla suddenly grinned and looked at Wolf seductively. "I can't complain. I have all the fun I need."

Max could have sworn her brother blushed slightly at this but before she could be absolutely sure he and Kyla had turned around and walked towards their quarter, with the latter still laughing.

* * *

Okay, not very long, I know and there was not action. Don't worry, it will happen. Information about the data they've stolen in Ramstein will be given later, too.

I wanted to bring in Logan here just to make sure he is not forgotten and he will play a major role later, so yes, you'll see him and a few other characters again.

Nothing more to add here than.

MOTIVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATION please :)


	5. Heat

So, this will possibly be one of the last calm chapters. Kind of, at least.

**tylee17:** Glad you liked it. I wasn't sure if I really should let Kyla say that but...well...I just had to :) You'll get a glimpse of M/A in this one too, but not much (as always. Yes, I'm mean). Logan will take some action, but you'll have to wait until they're back in the States. Don't worry, there will be there much earlier than they think at the moment; I hope you can be lenient with me ;) Hey, if you remember the length of my last story you can certainly imagine that I still have plenty of stuff and surprises for you, right? And, uhm, well yes, you're right. Quite many 'little bit's in the last chapter. I try not to repeat that. Thanks you again!

**Divine Fighter:** Thanks to you, too! Yes, I know you want to see Zack and co. again and yes: you will! But as I already said to tylee17, you'll have to be patient. I cannot imagine the '09 escapees joining force with a foreign counterpart of Manticore just like that; I'd even say that's almost impossible. But don't worry, you'll get to see more about them when unit two is back in the US. About Renfro being attacked by her own X5s: Hard to imagine that. She just has too many possibilities to keep them in line. But perhaps I'll think about something.

Okay, here we go.

Chapter 5: Heat

* * *

"You're still thinking about her, aren't you?"

Logan turned away from the window and looked at Bling who was smiling kindly. "Am I so easy to see through?"

"Usually not, no" the big bodyguard acknowledged, "but you have been staring out of that window for about an hour; it wasn't that hard to guess what's going on in your head. You sure you okay?"

"I think so, yes." Logan was silent for a few seconds, looking out of the safe house's window again. "It's just…I know she made her choice to stay with her unit and I accept that. If there was ever anything going on between us it's over now, I got it, but still I want to be her friend. I just don't like the thought that I can't help her anymore, you know. When she was here, in the US I mean, there was always a chance for me to do something for her. But now…she seems to be so far away."

"Friendship has nothing to do with distance, Logan" Bling seriously reminded him. "Max will always know you'll be there for her no matter where she is or what she is doing. Her calls make that very obvious, at least for me. And I doubt they will stay in Europe forever."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"Care to explain?" Bling suddenly felt a little bit confused.

"Renfro is still in Wyoming, well, most of the time" Logan reminded his friend and Bling nodded. He knew Eyes Only was keeping an eye on Manticore's operations and leaders. "If they want to take down whatever this strange organization is they will have to take down Renfro as well and for that they'll have to return to the States. I fear that blond psychopath is just waiting for that."

"Max always knew what she was doing" Bling tried to reassure him. "And those who are with her do as well. They won't fall for a simple trap, Logan. And besides that; if they return you'll perhaps be able to see her."

"Yeah, yeah perhaps" the cyber-journalist agreed and sighed. "I just wish she will see one day that she doesn't have to be a soldier. She was never given a choice, none of them were. They shouldn't risk their lives for a country that forced them to be living killing-machines from their very first day of life."

"From what you told me it's a bit more complicated than that, right?" Bling looked at his friend with concern but also sympathy for a few seconds until he shook his head with a wry grin. "You're thinking too much, Logan. You'll see her again but there is one thing I have learned about Max long ago: She will come back, but it will be her who decides when and where. Don't ponder about it too much; you'll only get a headache."

"Always the optimist, aren't you?" Now a tiny smile appeared on Logan's face as well. "At least I don't get bored while I'm pondering, you know."

"Oh, I can do something about that!" Bling produced a USB stick out of his pocket.

"What's that?"

"Just a little gift from our dear friend, Detective Sung. Bank accounts, secret phone numbers and some other stuff from our other dear friend, Madam Tricia Helden."

"Ah, finally!" Logan suddenly looked like a child on Christmas Eve. "Okay, I owe you for this one, but I won't forget about the whole deal about Max, clear?"

"Just get your cable hack done, Eyes Only!" Bling grinned. "I'll prepare dinner in the meantime. There will be more than enough time to be worried about that girl!"

* * *

"We have a new mission for you!" That announcement brought an almost excited smile to every transgenic soldier's - Deltas and X5s - face. Meyer noticed it but he didn't show any reaction. He had learned long ago that transgenics were not so excited before every battle because they liked killing; but they liked the hunt, the adrenaline, the challenge. They were predators; it was just their nature. Without paying too much attention to the sudden change in his soldiers he continued. "The data from Ramstein was incomplete, mostly low-classified information, still it told us enough. Our enemies call themselves the 'Alliance'. We do not know yet about their intentions but we got much information about their bases. Apparently the high-class information is kept on two different locations; you will attack one of them."

The image on the monitor behind him changed and showed once again satellite footage.

"This is in France, near Strasbourg. Apparently the Alliance has bought some old fortifications of the Maginot Line. We don't have detailed intel yet, but our recon is already on the move. They should be on site in eight hours."

"Those guys really have a thing with old military compounds" Blade whispered and her siblings could just nod.

"As we cannot deploy you before the recon teams have checked in you still have enough time to prepare yourself and to come up with a plan" Lydecker stepped in. "Prepare your equipment an be ready to be deployed in ten hours. Wolf and Ares; you have received the provisional attack plans. Study them and report to the command center in five hours with your 2ICs. Any questions?"

Nobody said a word and the two Colonel's nodded, satisfied.

"Dismissed!"

* * *

Only minutes later the X5s along with the Delta soldiers from Ares' platoon were in the armory, preparing their weapons and equipment. There wasn't much talking, only the occasional remark about the mission and some quiet comments. There was no fear, no nervousness. All of them had seen battle and it was nothing knew for them to prepare for a dangerous engagement. They all felt concentrated, calm and confident.

"Are we the only ones that will be deployed" Max asked Wolf who was working on a P220 handgun.

"Nope" he answered and briefly looked at her. "I haven't studied the whole plan yet, but it looks like there will be two more platoons securing our flanks. We'll see."

"Yeah, right, as always" Max sighed. "Damn, it's hot in here."

"Aw, come on, it's not that bad" Havoc chuckled. "Getting old there, Max?"

"Keep dreaming" she smiled. Perhaps she was really exaggerating. She tried to shrug it off and turned towards a Delta soldier who was working beside her and pointed at a bag of empty rifle clips on the table. "Can you give four of those, please?"

"Sure" he replied kindly and handed her four clips. "Here you go."

When he handed her the wanted items their fingers briefly touched. It was completely unintentional but for Max it was like a wave of electricity shot up her arm and she suddenly felt even warmer and fuzzy. The Delta on the other hand looked at her a little bit confused and blinked as if he was dizzy.

_'Oh no!'_ was all Max could think, _'Not now! Why didn't I…?'_

That was her last coherent thought before her instincts took over with irresistible force. She dropped the clips carelessly and took a step towards the soldier. They smiled at each other, their eyes beginning to fill with lust.

"Max?" Alec suddenly asked from across the table. "Are you alright?"

Every X5 within earshot stopped working immediately when they heard the worried undertone in his voice but Max didn't notice. Lost in her own world she almost tenderly caressed the Deltas arms - what had been his name again? Danny? It didn't matter anymore - and he pulled her a little bit closer.

"Danny, what are you doing?" Ares asked his soldier harshly but just like Max the young man didn't pay any attention to his environment anymore. "Delta nine-four, what the hell are you doing?"

The SRTU soldier didn't listen to his platoon commander anymore; it was as if he hadn't even heard somebody was talking. He pulled Max against his body and bent down to kiss her when all hell broke lose.

"Get the HELL AWAY FROM HER!" Before anybody could react Alec leaped over the table and jumped at the young man, driving him away from Max. But only for a second. The Delta recovered within the blink of an eye and attacked the X5 without hesitation. Alec would have been able too keep up with his opponent long enough for the others to help him but this time he didn't focus like he should have and got a bad break; he stumbled over a crate and before anybody could do anything the Delta had knocked him out cold.

"Alec!" Artemis and Blade were the first ones who wanted to join the fight and protect their sibling but when they approached Max suddenly turned around and hissed at them warningly, making them stop dead in their tracks.

"Oh, crap!" Kyla exclaimed. "Not that again!"

"What the hell is going on?" Ares demanded to know. He wanted to put an end to this but something told him it would not be a good idea to get too close, neither to Max nor to Danny, at the moment.

"She's in Heat!" Wolf growled. "All males: Back away from her! Back away, now!"

The male X5s immediately did as told; they remembered too well how dangerous it could be if more than one male transgenic was close to a female X5 in Heat. To Wolf's surprise even the Deltas followed his order. Apparently they felt that this was much more dangerous than it looked at the moment.

"Kyla" Wolf addressed his 2IC, "could you and the girls…"

"On it" the short-haired woman answered, already knowing what he wanted from her. If more than one male transgenic was close to a female in Heat they would start to fight each other until only one of them was still standing. Those were dangerous, sometimes even lethal fights. Female X5s were not affected by the pheromones of another woman in Heat, so they didn't have to worry about suddenly starting fights with each other. Usually they didn't even have to worry about the affected males, at least not until they tried to get the female in Heat out of their range - which was pretty much what they intended to do now. The female in Heat herself however was always a problem as she saw every other female transgenic as a possible rival. Kyla could already tell by the look in Max's eyes that they were in for one hell of a fight. Well, at least she would finally get a chance to spar again, she thought with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Artemis, Blade, we take Max" she ordered, then looked to her left where four female Deltas slowly approached their comrade. "Can you hold him back while we try to get her out of here?"

The four young women just nodded and Kyla almost sighed. At least she wouldn't have to worry about the affected Delta. She turned towards Max with a tiny grin on her lips.

"Listen now Max " she began while she, Blade and Artemis slowly approached. "I'm only going to say this once. You're in Heat. You don't know what you're doing. Come with us and everything will be alright."

When they were about two meters away from her Max suddenly growled, like a cat does just before attacking. Apparently her instincts had really taken over.

"Well, too bad" Kyla sighed and then lunged out at her friend without warning. Artemis and Blade followed her while the four female SRTU soldiers moved to restrain their comrade. Ares and a few of his men wanted to help but Wolf held them back.

"Don't!" he warned them. "You would only make it worse!"

It was a short but ruthless fight and Max really did all she could to get free but she didn't stand a chance against her three friends. They brought her down on the floor and although she struggled like mad they practically dragged her out of the room. Nova, Brin and Jondy joined them to make sure there would be no other male Delta on their way to the isolation cells.

About a minute after Max had left the room the male Delta soldier relaxed and looked around, surprised and confused and every X5 breathed a sigh of relief.

"You can let go of him" Wolf informed the four women who held their comrade down and they reluctantly obeyed.

"What the hell was that?" another Delta wanted to know.

"That" Wolf replied and sighed heavily, "was an X5 in Heat."

"Wait a minute" Carol wanted to know. The blond Delta squad leader looked at the Americans unbelievingly. "_That_ was Heat?"

Wolf and his siblings just nodded at her. She snorted and shook her head. "Holy crap!"

She and her fellow Deltas had been told about the Heat but she hadn't thought it would be so intense.

"You could say that" Wolf agreed and then looked at Ares. "I think we better inform Meyer and Lydecker about this, what do you think?"

"That'll be fun" the Swiss transgenic muttered.

* * *

_Four hours later_

"Platoons one to three are ready, sir" Ares announced to Meyer later that day.

"Unit two as well, sir" Wolf added, looking first at Lydecker and then at Meyer.

"Are you sure you can do this, even without Max? How is she, by the way?" Lydecker wanted to know. When they had been informed about Max's condition and the incident in the armory the two Colonel's had worried that they would have to delay the attack. But Wolf just nodded.

"She's fine, sir, just a little bit cranky. And yes, sir, we can do it." It would be a little bit more difficult without Max but it was possible. His sister had been brought to a barely used part of Fortress Delta where she had been put in isolation. The first two hours she had been trying to kick down the door and constantly yelled and begged to be let out but the steel door held and her guards - the women of unit two - were wise enough not to listen to her pleas. Nobody wanted her to do something she would regret later while she was in Heat and given that she wasn't in a relationship at the moment there was no one who could have taken care of her for the time being. After some time she seemed to calm down a little bit; which didn't mean she stopped giving her minders one hell of a time.

The two officers nodded.

"You will be moving out in three hours" Meyer informed the two team leaders. "We are still working out the last details, but until you arrive in Strasbourg you'll have all the information you need. Prepare your units and report again here in two and a half hour. Any questions?"

"No, sir!"

"Negative!"

"Very well. Dismissed!"

The two transgenics saluted and left the office, making their way to their units' quarters.

"See you later" Ares said and Wolf just nodded. When he approached his and Kyla's room he sighed. What a day! He was looking forward to have some time to relax before they had to move out. It would take them two days to arrive at Strasbourg, more than enough time to go over the mission details while they were travelling.

He entered his quarters and closed the door, not even bothering to switch the lights on, his enhanced eyesight doing its work perfectly. Kyla was sleeping in her bed but she sat up immediately when he entered.

"Hey" he greeted. "Feeling better?"

During the afternoon she had left the armory, claiming that she didn't feel good. Wolf had suspected that she still had doubts about the mission, that she still feared for his safety. She had to get over it and knowing her he was sure she would once they were on their way.

"Yeah, I do, thanks." She shook her head as if to chase away the last remainder of her fatigue and stood up, approaching him slowly and he couldn't help but grin when he saw that she was only wearing a shirt and pants. He chased that thought away, they didn't have time for that now.

"What was going on with you today anyway?" It wasn't a reproach, he was just curious. She didn't answer but instead stopped in her tracks and cocked her head, looking at him strangely. "Kyla, you sure you're okay?"

Instead of an answer she stepped closer and reached out, gently touching his bare forearms. It was like a bolt of electricity tore through his body and he felt how he became dizzy in the blink of an eye. His heartbeat rose and his breathing quickened in an instant. He gasped in realization. One tiny bit of his brain which was still working normally recognized the signs and urged him to retreat. He half-heartedly took a step back.

"Kyla" he panted "no…"

It was a futile attempt. Without listening to him she brought her hand up to his neck and pulled him closer, kissing him passionately and that was when time froze. All his discipline and logic were washed away. Nothing mattered anymore to him than her. His senses were sharper than he had ever known it, even sharper than in battle. It was overwhelming. Her smell, her taste and the feeling of her soft skin on his were so intense it drove him crazy. And he wanted more.

She briefly broke the kiss and smiled at him seductively and the lustful gleam in her eyes told him she felt the same. Claiming his lips again her hands found their way under his jacked and shirt and she slowly started to undress him while she pulled him towards her bed.

* * *

_Three hours later_

"This day is just getting worse and worse!" Alec muttered under his breath while he made his way to Wolf's and Kyla's quarters. Lydecker had called him and ordered them to check on his CO and 2IC as Wolf had not reported to the two Colonels as ordered and also Kyla was nowhere else to be found which was quite odd. "First of all I get beaten up and now this!"

"Oh, come on! Nobody told you to step in for Max" Jace reminded him.

"Yeah" Brin agreed. "Although I must say it was kind of cute."

"Cute?" That was definitely not the term he would have used. He shot the two women a surprised glance and got aware of their suggestive grins. "Hey, it was not like that! I just tried to protect her."

"Sure you did" Jace couldn't help but grin even broader.

"I was!" he insisted.

"Whatever you have to tell yourself." Brin just shrugged.

Alec didn't answer as he knew it would only further complicate his current situation. When they approached their superiors' quarters he addressed Brin again.

"Do me a favor: Will you go in first?"

"Why?" the Asian wanted to know. "Afraid?"

"Well, if I enter while Kyla's dressing she'll have my head."

"You have a dirty mind!" Jace growled and he gave her one of his trademark grins.

"Absolutely" Brin sighed. They arrived at Wolf's and Kyla's room and Brin opened the door and entered without hesitation, but as soon as she had set one foot inside she froze and whispered slightly shocked: "Okay, maybe not dirty enough."

That got Alec's and Jace's attention and they tried to get a look past Brin to see what was going on. Suddenly there was a threatening growl and even through the darkness they could see a tall and slender figure approaching them. Out of instinct Brin backed off and out of the room and slammed the door shut. There was a moment of stunned silence until Jace spoke up.

"What the…was that Kyla?"

"You can bet your genetically engineered ass it was!" Brin growled.

"But what…?" Alec began when it dawned on him. "Oh no, please not those two as well!"

"Come on, you can smell it, can't you?" Brin replied annoyed. It was true. Now that they concentrated on it they noticed. It was barely noticeable, not enough to affect any males outside the room but the scent was unmistakable.

"Max **and** Kyla? On the **same day**?"

"It is possible" Jace answered quietly. "The chances are slim, but it is possible."

_"494, this is Lydecker"_ Alec's radio suddenly cracked. _"Did you find them?"_

"Oh, please shoot me!" the transgenic groaned before he replied. "Yes, sir, we found them."

_"Good, then bring them here, I want to know why they are late!"_ Lydecker didn't sound very happy. He might have become much friendlier but he was still an officer who expected his soldiers to do as they were told. Alec looked at the two women, seeking for any kind of help.

"What?" Brin asked. "Forget it; I'm not going in there! "

"Neither do I" Jace agreed. "That's Kyla and Wolf we're talking about here! I like my face as it is!"

Alec sighed and was now absolutely sure that there was some deity who was playing its cruel games with him, before he answered Lydecker: "Sir, we might have a little problem here."

_"What sort of problem?"_

"Sir, with all due respect, you better come down here to see yourself. I doubt you'll believe me if I tell you."

_"I'm coming"_ Lydecker answered after a few seconds of silence, sounding like a growling bear. Like a very angry growling bear. _"Lydecker out."_

Alec turned towards the two female X5s looking utterly defeated. It took every ounce of discipline they had to not burst out laughing at seeing the helpless look on his face.

"Ladies, I repeat my previous demand: Please shoot me!"

**

* * *

**

**Okay, that was it.**

**452max suggested after chapter two ithat I could write something with Heat in it. Well, I did know. You see, I don't forget you ;)**

**I just wanted to have more than one unit member to be involved because I really think they could do with one but not with two, three or even more of them not fit for duty.**

**Well, let me know what you think and don't forget:**

**Reviews are life (I know, I keep repeating myself)**


	6. To Battle

Yes, I know it has been some time, but RL just sucks at the moment. I try to update at least every weekend, be patient with me, please

**452max:** Thanks again! Well, you'll see in this chapter how Lydecker reacts, it will be a rather short scene, however, I want to get this done. And yes, there is gonna be some scene with Max and Alec ;)

**Alan Grey:** There you are again! I really thought I had lost you, welcome back and thanks for the PM!! And yes this certainly compensates for your absence.

Don't worry, Logan's gonna get his sweetheart, but I haven't decided yet who it will be. But Ares and Max...hm, haven't really thought about that. They will eventually turn to Logan for help again but I first want the combat mission to end. Later in the story he'll get more work to do, promise. And you really are good with pointing out my mistakes to me - no offense, I appreciate it. I really forgot about the attack on the Deltas at the beginning of this story. Well, I must honestly say I'll have to think about this first before I can give you and explanation because my original idea doesn't work anymore. Damn, stop forgetting things, stupid brain!

Yes, the different SRTU will work together later in this story. Until now I didn't want to use them because I think it would become too complicated. So, well yes, I can understand you think they would keep in touch but for the moment they don't. You'll get to see a little explanation in the char list. No, Jace is not pregnant in this story, at least not until now. About Tinga; interesting question. You'll see when the rest of the '09ers make their appearance - yes, that will eventually happen, don't worry.

The X5s are trained in for example piloting. During one of the last chapters of Hunting an Angel Wolf and Artemis are piloting the two Black Hawks when they escape from Manticore. But of course unit two would have trained with the Deltas, sorry if I didn't make that clear enough. Perhaps I'll add something in a future chapter.

You're gonna see many characters that I haven't use for a while in the future, although you know me well enough that sometimes I like to take on things rather slowly. But well, not much more to say here. Thank you very much for your review and your constructive critism, I really appreciate it. Hope you keep reading and you enjoy this chapter too. Sorry for the waiting time but I just don't get to write as often as during the last months.

Just one piece of advice: Don't tease me about my cliffhangers; bad things can happen to my characters when people do that ;)

Ah, and by the way, you're a life-saver. I've been thinking about a way to get them into an impossible situation but I just couldn't figure out how. You gave me the perfect idea, thank you very much ;)

**Divine Fighter:** It would be a bloody war? Correction: It WILL be. I definitely want to get them into action again and it starts with this chapter. And about the heat, well, it was bound to happen eventually. Thanks to you, too!

* * *

Char list

**Transgenics**

**D-26 aka Ares** He's the highest ranking transgenic soldier in the Swiss SRTU and platoon leader of Delta platoon one. His demeanor is much like Wolf's; he's a dedicated and strong leader but at the same time cares about his subordinates. Recently he has often been spending time with Blade and there are rumors about the two of them being together; until now nothing has been confirmed in that matter.

**D-28 aka Carol** The blond woman is Ares' 2IC. Despite her being a very capable soldier she sometimes displays an almost wicked sense of humor and she likes to tease the people around her. Nevertheless in battle she's an experienced and fierce warrior.

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. After running away from Manticore she has finally gotten together with Havoc. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Recently she has often been spending time with Ares and there are rumors about the two of them being together; until now nothing has been confirmed in that matter. She has no shark but snake DNA.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and is happy Max did as well as she once said she couldn't bear to lose her little sister again.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA after the mission in Joliet during the first encounter with the Alliance.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights. Over the years she has developed a strong affection towards Wolf but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them had the courage to make the next step until recently. They are a couple now but they still have to deal with a lot of unknown and troubling emotions, most of all the fear to lose the other.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. After running away from Manticore he has finally gotten together with Nova. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit and as such an incredible shooter but she's not very fond of hand-to-hand combat. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. Just like his partner Kyla he had been developed for combat operations. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is and his knowledge about almost any sort of combat makes him a deadly enemy. Over the years he has developed a strong affection towards Kyla but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them had the courage to make the next step until recently. They are a couple now but they still have to deal with a lot of unknown and troubling emotions, most of all the fear to lose the other.

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Recently he has started to have strange feelings for Max but isn't sure what to do about it yet. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two and blue team. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-734 aka Brin** After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. After having been a specialist for one-man missions for some time Brin got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier. It seems like she got back most of her memories by now, most of all about her brother Zane, but she hardly talks about it.

**X5-798 aka Jace** Member of blue team. She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She has been a member of unit five but got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier.

**X7-452 aka Kara** The nine year old girl is the X7 clone of Max. Forced to leave Manticore with unit two she was terrified at first but quickly accustomed to it. Despite being a child and acting quite innocently most of the time she more than capable to defend herself. Currently she has to stay at Fortress Delta as Lydecker and the X5s don't want to expose her to the dangers of outside missions.

**Ordinary humans**

**Corporal Daniel Hayden** He was a corpsman in the Manticore black ops corps. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two.

**Major Patrick Coleman** He was unit two's instructor and TAC leader since their childhood. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two. He and the Colonel have known each other for a long time as they had served together in the Delta Force during the Mogadishu incident in 1990 already.

**Sergeant Christian O'Neill** He was a TAC team leader in the Manticore black ops corps. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two. He and the Colonel have known each other for a long time as they had served together in the Delta Force during the Mogadishu incident in 1990 already.

**Director Elizabeth Renfro** The former head of PsyOps became director of the Manticore headquarters and all X-series when Colonel Lydecker fled and was branded a traitor. Secretly the blond woman also involved with the Alliance and has played a major role in the pursuit of the rogue unit two. Not much is known about her real intentions. She has never served in the armed forces but nevertheless is a brilliant and cold tactician. She displays an intense hatred and disgust for the transgenics and does not hesitate to use brutal force against them if she thinks it's necessary.

**Colonel Christian Meyer** Colonel Meyer is the commanding officer of the Swiss SRTU. He's a veteran of the French Foreign Legion where he served in the 2. REP, the Legion's paratroopers. 1990 during his service in the Legion he met Colonel Lydecker in Mogadishu and the two of them became friends. Eventually he returned to Switzerland where he was imprisoned for his service in the Legion; he was released however when the Russian-European war began and eventually became sort of a war hero when he took command of the troops defending the city of Chur. Unbeknownst to him that had been the first time he commanded SRTU soldiers. After the war he was given command of the Swiss SRTU operations and Fortress Delta and has been the CO of the Delta soldiers ever since. He is a caring and understanding superior but does not hesitate to use lethal force if necessary.

****

Organizations

**Silent Response and Tactical Units **The SRTU are the European counterpart of Manticore. Their exact origins are not known but it seems that information about the X-series had been leaked to the Europeans, allowing them to create their own genetically enhanced soldiers. In a joint operation the British, German, French and Swiss forces created transgenic soldiers. In the present the SRTU of the different countries hardly ever contact each other anymore – at least not officially. The real reasons for this are not known but when asked about it the soldiers of the SRTU usually answer disparagingly: "Politics!" Until now the only X-series who ever had contact with the SRTU are the members of X5 unit two. The average SRTU soldier – or Delta, as the Swiss SRTU call themselves – has been created for combat missions and direct confrontations. They are stronger and faster than the average X5 and because of their deployment during the European-Russian war have a vast battle experience. They do however have less experience in infiltration and stealth operations compared to the X5s. Nevertheless the SRTU welcomed the rogue Manticore transgenics when they had been forced to leave the Wyoming facility and by now they consider each other almost as long lost siblings.

**The Alliance **Their headquarters seems to be in the United States but they maintain bases all around the world. Their TAC teams have been bioengineered to make them stronger and faster, possibly to be able to keep up with transgenic soldiers. In the past the Alliance didn't have a large military force but it seems their armed forces have been reinforced since the first contact with the Manticore X-series. Other than that not much is known about the Alliance; their exact numbers, their members and most of all their intentions remain a secret.

* * *

_Fortress Delta_

When he woke up he felt exhausted, like he'd just come home from another week of SERE training. But that wasn't the case. He looked around and although it was dark his enhanced eyesight told him that there was nothing to be worried about. He smiled as he got aware of the sleeping form of Kyla lying in bed with him with her back pressed against his chest. His arms were wrapped around her upper body and it looked like he'd held her close even in his sleep, as if he had been trying to protect her.

When the memories of the past two days came to his mind he couldn't suppress a grin. No wonder he felt exhausted. But it was over now. They had fallen asleep a few hours ago and with his enhanced senses he could tell Kyla's Heat was over. He knew they should get up and report to Lydecker but he just couldn't bring himself to wake her. Even now he hardly ever got to see her while she was sleeping and she always looked so innocent and peaceful while asleep – he didn't want to disturb her.

He was pretty sure the mission had been cancelled when the others had found out about Kyla's and his 'situation'; the team could've done without Max, but with the CO and the 2IC out of action as well it seemed impossible to carry out the attack. Well, he would find out soon enough what his teammates had been doing during the last forty-eight hours.

He grinned, imagining Lydecker's face when Brin, Jace and Alec had delivered him the news about Kyla being in Heat as well. Yes, he remembered that moment when Brin had suddenly stood in the room and had looked at them with a very shocked expression. If Kyla had not been in Heat the moment would have been more than just awkward, but like this Kyla had sensed Brin as a rival and had gotten up to attack her before Wolf had been able to do anything – not that he had been able to think straight anyway – and fortunately Brin had reacted fast enough and had left the room like a bat out of hell. He chuckled when he remembered Brin's face as soon as she had understood what mess she had gotten herself into; it had been priceless. Kyla suddenly stirred.

"What are you laughing at?" she mumbled.

"Morning" he said gently. She moved until they lay face-to-face. Her eyes still looked sleepy and he could tell she really wasn't fully awake yet.

"Morning" she replied dozily. "You haven't answered my question."

"Do you remember how Brin looked at you?" he asked. She nodded and then it dawned on her what he was talking about and she grinned.

"Yeah, that was a good one" she snickered but then suddenly became very serious again. "Hey, wait a minute! It was just Brin, right? Alec didn't see anything, did he?"

"Uh…no, I don't think so."

"Oh, gods" she sighed. "I really hope he didn't or we'll never hear the end of it."

"It's too late for that now" he reminded her calmly. After that they lay side by side, just looking at each other and enjoying the peace and the feeling of having the other close. Eventually Kyla spoke up.

"I didn't want to do it" she said and Wolf could see incertitude in her green eyes. "Not like that. When I went to sleep I had no idea that my Heat was close and when I woke up and you were there I realized it too late. I'm sorry."

She could see how his face hardened and prepared for what had to come. She should have felt it. Back at Manticore when she had been younger she had always known when her Heat was due but after all those years when they had the Heat suppressor she'd apparently forgotten to pay attention like she should have.

"Do you regret it?" he wanted to know and she looked at him in surprise. That was not the answer she had expected. She had thought he would be angry with her; Heat was not just a bitch for the concerned female but also for every transgenic male who got affected. You lost control over your body and your actions and losing control was something they all hated to the core; she and Wolf were no exceptions.

While their instructors had always told them that it didn't matter and that as soldiers they didn't have to worry about it every X-soldier had always been aware of the fact that sexuality was something intimate and extremely personal and they had respected each others whishes in that matter; until Heat made had made its first appearance. Kyla remembered very well how devastating it had been for some of her siblings back in the time when the guards and the doctors had not known about Heat and how to stop it.

"Kyla" he repeated his voice a little bit gentler. "Do you regret it?"

"I…no, I don't" she replied, "but I thought you…"

"Then shut up! We knew this would eventually happen and it will be a part of our life" he silenced her but despite the rather hard words his voice was kind. "Kyla, I love you. No Heat or anything else will ever change that, understood?"

She nodded and visibly relaxed before she snuggled up a little bit closer to him and kissed him. "Thank you. I love you, too."

"You're welcome" he smiled at her but eventually his smile turned into a grin. "I mean, it's not like it was that unpleasant, was it?"

"No, not at all" she agreed smirking.

After that they were silent for a few more minutes until Kyla brought up the topic they both had been trying to ignore.

"I think we should report to the Colonel, what do you say?"

"Yeah, you're probably right" he agreed but she could clearly hear the annoyance in his voice. He wouldn't have minded to spend a few more hours in that bed without thinking about the mission and all of their problems.

"Don't be such a baby" she teased him. "It's our job, remember?"

"Nope, if it was our job we would at least get paid" he reminded her playfully.

"Whatever. Get your lazy ass out of this bed!" She tried to get up herself but he held her back. She shot him a warning glance. "Wolf, let me get up!"

"Come on, they won't miss us that much already. Let's stay for a few more minutes."

"We practically spent the last two days in this bed, remember?" His grin was enough to answer that question but he still didn't let her go but held her tightly in his embrace. She narrowed her eyes at him. "If you don't let me go I'll ask the Colonel for separated quarters!"

That got her immediately what she wanted and she stood up in one fluent move, giving her lover a mischievous smile.

"Men" she mocked him. "You're so easy to convince!"

"You're evil, you know that?" he said. She just shrugged and he finally gave in and stood up as well with an annoyed groan, stretching his muscles once he was standing.

"Did I wear you out that much?" the female transgenic chuckled. He briefly looked at her and gave her a sly grin.

"Not at all. Wanna try me?"

Kyla rolled her eyes. "Get some clothes on already!"

"Aye aye, ma'am!"

He knew she was right, but he just loved to tease her. But their leisure was over; it was time to get to work again. Within a minute they were dressed and left their quarters to report to Lydecker. That sure as hell would be interesting!

* * *

Two hours later the whole unit two was sitting in the Briefing Room again and listened to Lydecker. Max had woken up that same morning an hour earlier than Kyla and Wolf and had reported back to their commanding officer. She hadn't heard about Kyla being in Heat as well until then but she hadn't been surprised her brother had been affected; sometimes those two were just too predictable.

But now the whole unit was back together and it seemed like they would finally be able to move out.

"Delta platoon one under the command of Delta two-eight – Carol – will cover you while you enter the bunker and they will make sure you get out of there again" Lydecker recapitulated the plan. "We don't know much about the inside of that complex; only that it consists of one main bunker from the former Maginot Line with two secondary units. We suspect the command center to be in the main bunker, but we can't say for sure."

Jondy briefly looked at Max and the two women shrugged simultaneously; so they would search and find it like they had in Ramstein.

"We don't know how many guards are there" Lydecker continued, "but the Swiss have had an observation drone over the sector for four days now an neither the drone footage nor the reports from the recon teams on site have indicated that there are more than the usual personnel around."

Wolf narrowed his eyes at this. That was not what he had expected. He had been sure that after their attack on Ramstein their enemy – the Alliance – would do everything possible to protect the only two bases where they kept their classified information. So this could mean two things: Either somebody at the Alliance's HQ was a really incompetent nutcase or they had already relocated their information cores, which was very well possible. Information cores – which were often used to back up and edit electronic data – were not big; they just needed to be treated with caution. One man with a suitcase was all it took to transport one of them.

The problem was that an electronic depth scan from the observation drone had showed that there still was one of those cores in that base, so most likely it had not been relocated. Which brought up a third scenario: The electronic files in the core had probably been corrupted so they would be of no use to the transgenics but the core itself was still there to lure them into the bunker and into a well prepared trap.

Lydecker knew that as well and while he'd had to wait for three of his soldiers to get rid of the effects of Heat he and Meyer together with Ares and Alec had tried to find any sign of a trap; radio contacts to nearby airbases where hostile helicopters could wait for their attack order, large groups of foreign men and woman in the nearby villages, enemy soldiers disguised as tourists and so on. But neither the recon teams nor the scans from the drone had detected anything that would be a major challenge for a transgenic commando. It was a risk – a big risk, to be correct – but they kept the whole surrounding area and airspace under surveillance and if anything went wrong and the enemy suddenly would approach from somewhere outside unit two would have enough time to retreat and disappear into the woods. It would mean they didn't get the information – again – but at least they would be safe.

"Once you found the core and start the download you are to contact the Cougar helicopters which will be waiting in Swiss airspace. Once contacted they will come and pick you up. Questions?"

"What about the French army" Bear wanted to know. "They will not like the Swiss flying around in their airspace and it's a long way to Strasbourg and back."

"They will ignore you" Lydecker answered. "Don't ask me how but it looks like Colonel Meyer still has some contacts in the French forces. Anything else?"

"Sir" Ares spoke up. He would be the only Delta soldier who was going in with unit two. "Why has unit two been selected to infiltrate the bunkers? No offense, but my men are better trained for combat missions."

"I know." Lydecker didn't feel insulted at all. The Deltas were better when it came to direct confrontations – with a few exceptions like Kyla, Wolf and Blade – but this had not been his decision. "This order came directly from Berne."

Ares gave a little snort and nodded but whispered disparagingly: "Politics."

Lydecker pretended he hadn't heard it. "Anything else?"

When nobody answered he nodded at them, seemingly satisfied.

"Major Coleman and I will be in the command center and we will coordinate your movements with the second attack unit who will take care of the other base in the South of Poland." The Manticore transgenics suppressed their grins as good as they could. Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden had been practically unemployed since they had arrived at Fortress Delta as the X5 trained themselves and the SRTU didn't need additional trainers. It was clear that the three former Manticore black ops soldiers ached to do some work even if it only meant to coordinate the deployment and movements of the units. "Make no mistakes; our enemy is warned and they had time to prepare. Be safe and come home again as fast as you can! Dismissed!"

"I don't like it" Artemis said once they were outside of the Briefing Room and slowly marching towards their quarters. "I mean; they've had so much time to prepare and still we can't see anything that would be a match for us."

"And it's not like there is much to discuss who raided their base in Ramstein" Havoc agreed. "They know it was us. The least I would've done is to delete all files which would be of use for us."

"You think it's a trap?" Jace wanted to know but it was a rhetorical question.

"Of course it is" Wolf suddenly intervened. "But they don't know that we're not alone anymore. They don't expect us to attack with a whole SRTU platoon as backup. And they surely won't expect two other platoons to attack their Poland facility at the same time. Stop worrying, we're gonna get in, download whatever we can and get out again. Get your equipment and report to the hangar in thirty minutes, we had to wait for this much too long!"

Eventually the X5s nodded and left but Wolf caught the appreciative glance Ares shot him for having made clear his trust in the SRTU.

"What did Lydecker mean when he said Meyer still had his contacts in the French army?" he wanted to know but Ares just shook his head.

"I don't know and honestly I don't want to. Meyer always had his secrets and I sure as hell won't mess with him just because of that."

"Looks like that's a general Colonel-thing then" Wolf grinned and Ares chuckled. "Well then, see you later."

"Yeah, see you." They nodded at each other and parted ways.

Once back in their quarters they quickly changed into their battle uniforms and grabbed their gear before they left again and made their way towards the hangar and the waiting Cougar helicopters. Wolf waited until Kyla was outside their room, then took a small envelope out of his locker and put it inside Kyla's. For a few seconds he hesitated with an almost worried expression on his face until he shook his head and left the room as well to join his teammates.

On their way to the hangar Alec marched besides Max.

"Are you okay" he wanted to know and she shot him an annoyed glance. She was fine and nobody had to remind her of what state she had been in not even a day ago. To her surprise she found out that he looked at her seriously and when she couldn't detect any sign of his usual sarcasm or mockery her eyes softened a little bit.

"Yeah, I am, don't worry" she replied. She then suddenly remembered of how he had reacted towards that other Delta. "By the way; thank you for what you did in the armory."

"Well, it didn't work that well. I just wanted to help you." He suddenly got aware of how she slightly narrowed her eyes at his words. Having known Max for some time now he knew what was about to come and added quickly. "I know you can take care of yourself, Max, but I didn't think you'd appreciate waking up to that Delta afterwards."

"Yeah, you're right" she agreed and relaxed. Suddenly she grinned again. "I've heard you had a quite interesting day after that as well."

He looked at her confused until he understood what she meant.

"Oh, you mean that whole thing with Wolf and Kyla?" He sighed when she nodded. "Don't remind me."

"That bad?"

Alec briefly looked at her and while remembering what had happened after Lydecker had called him.

* * *

_It took Lydecker and Meyer only a few minutes to arrive at Wolf's and Kyla's quarters where Brin, Jace and a slightly nervous Alec were still waiting._

_"Where are they?" the former head of the Manticore headquarters wanted to know._

_"In their quarters, sir!" Alec answered._

_"And why the hell don't you go in there and get them out, dammit?" the older man reached out to open the door himself when Brin reacted and blocked his way. He looked at her first surprised and then angered by her behavior. "What the hell do you think you're doing, soldier?"_

_"Trust me, sir" the Asian X5 replied steadily, "you don't want to go in there."_

_Before Lydecker definitely lost his temper Jace stepped in._

_"Sir, Brin is right. We can't go in there. Kyla's in Heat as well."_

_The older man looked at his three soldier's a little bit astonished but also suspicious. "Are you sure about that?"_

_"Well, sir" Alec answered, feeling more confident again. "You can check yourself but with all due respect, sir, at your own risk."_

_"Are you that aggressive when you're in Heat?" Colonel Meyer finally spoke up slightly curious. "I can hardly believe they would be a match for the three of you."_

_"Well, sir, Nova threw Bear out of the room during her last Heat, in a matter of seconds." Brin replied, looking at the Swiss officer. "And she's much, much more peaceful than those two in there."_

_For a few seconds nobody said anything and the two Colonels shared a brief look. Alec almost feared he was going to order them to barge into the room and separate their CO and 2IC when the two old men sighed almost simultaneously._

_"You sure as hell have interesting soldiers, Deck" Meyer said with the hint of a smile._

_"You have no idea!" Lydecker growled frustrated and then looked at Alec. "Call off the mission; we'll have to wait until this is over."_

_"Yes, sir!" Alec gave him a crisp salute and breathed a small sigh of relief. Lydecker just nodded briskly and together the two Colonels left. The male X5 suddenly called after them: "Sir, what are we going to do about those two?"_

_"Well, leave them alone, there's nothing we can do at the moment" Lydecker shouted without looking back. He then looked at Meyer and added more quietly: "After all Brin's right, you know; Nova really is much more peaceful than those two!"_

_Meyer didn't say anything but just chuckled and did his best to suppress his laugh._

* * *

Alec shook his head at those memories.

"Let's just say it was pretty weird." Neither of them said anything until he suddenly got aware how she continued to grin at him. "What?"

"I wouldn't have thought something as simple as a little Heat and a couple in love was enough to shut you up" she replied her smile growing even bigger but before he got a chance to say anything they reached the hangar and Wolf's authoritarian voice was enough to stop all the chattering and the small banters going on between different members of the X5 unit:

"Alright, listen up!" he announced. "Cougar Three will be ours, One and Two will be for Delta platoon one and the rest is for the units that will attack the Poland facility. Does everybody have his equipment and weapons?"

They all voiced their affirmative, fully aware of the fact that they were only minutes away from leaving Fortress Delta. The easy days were over; they would march into battle again. The activity inside the huge hangar was more than enough to remind them of that fact almost painfully; ordinary guards and technicians ran to and fro, the pilots completed their pre-flight checks and SRTU soldiers in black battle uniforms and tactical vests checked their weapons and ammunition. It was the sight of a military unit preparing for combat and it was all it took to remind the X5s what they were here for - what they were; soldiers. Apparently Wolf could feel how his siblings changed from relaxed young men and women into fully alert and battle-hardened soldiers in a matter of seconds as he nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"The Cougars will bring us to the North of Switzerland, from there we will have to march" Max's brother informed them although they had all received the full mission briefing already. He just wanted them to be prepared. "If there are no questions: Board Cougar Three! Move it!"

Without a word the X5s turned towards the waiting helicopter and got on it under the observant eyes of the loadmaster. Only Kyla and Wolf waited outside the aircraft and watched how the soldiers of Delta platoon one boarded the other two waiting choppers. Seeing all those combat-ready and heavily armed transgenic soldiers was a good thing; Wolf suddenly felt a lot better about the whole mission. All in all there were only four platoons of transgenics - X5s and Deltas - who would raid the two Alliance facilities, but looking at all those soldiers he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time: Pride. It wasn't easy to explain; it was just a feeling of confidence knowing all those young men and women with the combat strength and the irresistible force of almost a battalion fighting on your side and he felt proud to be a part of it.

But still he knew they were going against a dangerous enemy and he sure as hell knew that even transgenics could die.

"Are you okay?" He turned around and got aware of Kyla's inquiring gaze.

"Of course" he replied and tried to smile. "It's just a quite big operation."

"It is" she agreed after a while. She knew there was something he didn't tell her but she also knew she could trust him and so she decided not to ask about it any further. Suddenly they got aware of Ares approaching them.

"We're ready" the Swiss transgenic announced. "Let's move out!"

The two X5s nodded and the three soldiers boarded Cougar Three. Two minutes later the hangar roof opened and the helicopters took off and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

* * *

_Two days later - Washington DC - secret location_

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" the council leader asked.

"It will work, sir" Renfro assured him with confidence. "The new defense systems can't be detected by the usual scanners until we activate them. They won't suspect anything until it is too late."

"What do you think, Major?"

"I agree, sir" Cullins answered. As much as he hated to admit it Renfro's plan was good. "And we have reinforced our TAC teams in the region. They are waiting far enough from the two bases to be detected but the defensive systems will slow down any attacker for long enough for them to get in position."

"I see. What about the men inside the two facilities?"

"Mercenaries" Renfro informed her superior with barely hidden disgust. She couldn't stand soldiers and she definitely despised mercenaries. "We hired some of them to guard the compounds. They are expendable."

"Good." The white-haired Alliance leader was not surprised by Renfro's cold-bloodedness. "What are you…"

_"Major Cullins to Combat Control!"_ it suddenly sounded out of the loudspeaker. _"Pass the word: Major Cullins to Combat Control!"_

Cullins was on his feet in an instant and darted out of the room and Renfro and the council's head followed him immediately. When they arrived at Combat Control from where the Alliance was supervising all its bases around the world Cullins was already talking to one of the operators in agitated whispers. Then the young Major turned around.

"Sir! The base near Strasbourg reports that they have lost contact with all of their outside guards."

"Has there been gunfire?" Renfro wanted to know.

"Negative!"

"It's them!" she almost whispered. Finally! "Activate passive remote surveillance!"

* * *

_Same time - Strasbourg, France - former Maginot Line_

The old bunkers stood in the middle of the small clearing like relicts of a forgotten age. Wolf narrowed his eyes at his surroundings the finger on the trigger of his assault rifle and searched for another target. But there were not enemies anymore, at least not outside the bunker. They had neutralized every guard without firing a single shot. Not even the snipers of the SRTU platoon who were hiding in the forest about two hundred meters away had been forced to use their rifles while the X5s had killed the dozen Alliance soldiers patrolling the perimeter fence. Apparently their enemies' augmentations really just made them stronger and faster but had nothing to do with their senses as the transgenics had been able to sneak up on them without any problems.

Now the Manticore transgenics were waiting around the entrance door, securing their surroundings while Havoc was preparing the demolition charge.

It had been an almost easy trip until now. The Cougars had dropped them near the city of Basel in the North of Switzerland and from there they had marched towards North, crossing the boarder to France the very same night. From time to time they'd had to avoid a civilian but usually there had been nobody in the forests of eastern France and they had advanced rather quickly.

After two days they had reached their target and the Delta platoon under Carol's command had set up a perimeter and made contact with Fortress Delta. They were ahead of their time schedule but although the units in Poland were not ready yet Meyer and Lydecker had decided to let them attack immediately to avoid detection.

So Wolf's unit had made short work of the guards outside the bunker and until know it looked like nobody had noticed their presence. Yet.

"How long does it take to set this damned charge, Havoc" Artemis hissed towards their explosiv expert.

"Stop it already, Artemis" Havoc replied calmly. "If I don't do this right I'm gonna blow us all up."

That shut the short-haired sniper.

"Ready!" Havoc announced and retreated from the steel door. "Take cover!"

The transgenics ducked behind whatever cover they could find and seconds later a huge explosion rocked the ground and before the smoke had cleared unit two and Ares charged into the bunker.

* * *

**Okay, that's it. No more nice and calm here, I've done that long enough now, so you can guess what it will be in the next chapter.**

**Yes, Divine Fighter, that's right. Bloody war! **

**And two or three other things, of course ;)**

**Let me know what you think, please!!**


	7. The Crucible

**452max:** Well then, here you go. Thanks again!

**Divine Fighter:** Thanks to you, too, glad you liked it. I'm thinking about that whole name thing and I might have an idea. But you'll have to wait for it probably until the end, sorry ;)

**Alan Grey:** Some information will be revealed about the Alliance during the next two chapters. Sorry about the SERE-thing. SERE stands for Survival Evasion Resistance Escape. It's a survival training in a combat situation and it's considered one of the most exhausting trainings a soldier has to undergo, both physically and psychologically. I'll try to give explanations in the future when using terms like this one, thanks for reminding me. I picked silent because nobody must know about them. Just like Manticore they're the blackest of the black ops, constantly hiding not only from their enemies but also from their own population. Glad you liked the scene with Lydecker, I wasn't sure if I got it right.

I liked the quotation of Calrissian. Well, I have to admit it's true, we military most of the time stick to what we know and that's weapons - lots of it. Sometimes we too improvise something a little bit less conventional but you're right, there is a huge difference. I'll try not to forget that in the future. And about how much firepower the SRTU would use? Well, my instructor once said: 'Stealth is your second best weapon - right after your assault rifle!' I think they will do whatever it takes to complete the mission, if necessary even at the cost of civilian life. But they will also do whatever they can to prevent that from happening. It's difficult.

And always a step ahead ;) no, I did not forget about the other characters, most of all not about Kara. She got her name at the end of the last story, by the way. As a matter of fact she will play an important role in the future, probably in about four or five chapters. You'll see. I have also planned on bringing back Logan and most of all the other '09ers. Same here, you'll have to be patient for a few chapters. I think you'll know why after you read this one.

Ah, damned! No, I meant undetected, of course, thanks for pointing out. Well, I really try my best but English is still not my native language, sorry about that. And The Crucible? Like it :)

Well then, read and enjoy. Thank you very much!

**throwerpro:** There you are again! Well, here you go and thanks to you, too.

* * *

"Nico!" Ares announced before he threw the flashbang grenade into the room and everybody closed their eyes and covered their ears. Even like that the transgenics winced in pain when the grenade went off but they still charged through the door immediately after the explosion. The two enemies in the small room where killed quickly as the grenades effects had rendered them practically blind and disoriented for a few seconds.

"Clear!" Bear announced and proceeded towards the next door without hesitation.

The transgenics moved quickly and efficiently. Once they had entered the bunker there had been no need for stealth anymore. They moved from one room to another, using the flashbang grenades to deal with their opponents without destroying any of the electronic equipment they might need to download the information they were here for.

They had entered the underground facility and cleared the main bunker first before they followed the retreating guards to one of the secondary units. And they were fast. Wolf could feel the adrenalin rush through his body, smelled the stench of blood and gun smoke in the air. Their whole lives they had been trained to do exactly what they were doing now; fight, hunt and kill. Coldly, efficiently and happily. Those words echoed in his head when he stormed into the next room and shot another guard in the chest two times without thinking about it. He had heard the Colonel say them once when talking to Renfro, back in the days when he had been a child, perhaps about ten or eleven years old. He hadn't understood back then but now he did. His unit – his siblings – they moved like they were different parts of a single body controlled by a collective mind. There was no need for communication; almost no words were spoken, no orders given. They all knew what they had to do, where they had to stand, what sector they had to cover. It was fascinating, beautiful and frightening at once.

Out of the corner of his eyes he caught a glimpse of Kyla. She ejected an empty clip from her assault rifle and reloaded. She looked at him briefly and in her eyes he could see the same aggressiveness and bellicosity he felt and they smiled at each other in an almost feral manner. It was not that they liked killing but they liked the hunt, the challenge. It was in their genes, it was what they had been born to do, what they had been made to do.

He turned towards the next door just when Blade announced ready. He nodded and she kicked the door open so Nova could throw her grenade. After the explosion it was Blade who charged first. She too had been developed for combat and Wolf knew she felt the same as her CO and 2IC. He avoided looking at Nova, Max or Jondy. They – like most other members of his team – had not been primarily designed for such missions and while he knew they were more than capable to take care of themselves it was clear to him that they would have a little bit more difficulties to deal with this night's experiences.

"We can't hold them!" he heard the distant voice of one of the guards. It sounded like it was in the next room. "Open the tunnel!"

"We don't have clearance for that and I can't get through to the HQ!" another voice answered, sounding frightened.

"I don't give a damn!" the first voice responded angrily. "Open the damned tunnel, now!"

Immediately Wolf and Kyla took action. They couldn't allow the guards to escape or they risked that one of them would take the information core with him. Quickly they approached the steel door that separated them from the next room and took positions on either side of it while the rest of their team made sure nobody would sneak upon them. Wolf felt how Ares took position behind him and once ready the Swiss transgenic gave him a light pat on the back. Wolf felt good about having the SRTU soldier with him; although they had known each other for only a few weeks the Delta transgenic had not only kept up with the X5s but had proven himself to be a valuable asset to the team. His fighting skills matched even Wolf's and Kyla's and his combat experience made him an unpredictable and extremely dangerous soldier.

At Kyla's barely visible nod he opened the door and she threw her last grenade inside. The blink of an eye after the explosion Wolf and Ares charged into the room only to be greeted by enemy fire. Of course their opponents had learned and the stun grenade had not taken them out as they had ducked behind their cover as soon as the door had been opened but they were too slow, their fire not accurate enough.

The first two were immediately caught by the two male transgenics' fire, another one got shot by Kyla who entered the room after the two men and the last one suddenly stood too close to Ares; the Delta soldier smashed the butt of his rifle into the man's face and the sickening crack of breaking bones was enough to make Wolf shudder in disgust. The three of them scanned the room but there was no enemy anymore and no door that would lead to another room.

"Clear!" Kyla announced and lowered her weapon. She suddenly grinned and nodded towards the computer stations in the middle of the room. They looked undamaged. "What do you think?"

"Jondy, Max" Wolf called out. "Get in here!"

"I think that's the tunnel they spoke about" Ares announced from the far end of the room.

"Is it open?"

"Negative. Closed hatch. Electronic combination lock."

"Keep an eye on it." In that moment Max and Jondy entered the room. Max briefly looked at her brother and he could see she hated what they were doing here. She had always hated killing but she also knew that sometimes it was necessary. Wolf chose to ignore that problem for the time being, he would talk to her later. He nodded towards the computers. "You think that's it?"

"Give me a second" Jondy replied and started to work on one of the stations.

"Carol, Alec, this is Wolf. Report, over" Wolf tried to reach the blond SRTU soldier who was waiting in the woods outside and his third in command over radio.

"_This is Carol, all clear."_

"_Everything's quiet_" came Alec's calm voice. He guarded the entrance to the bunker together with Jace and Brin. "_How's it going?_"

"The bunker is clear; it looks like we found their network." Jondy briefly looked up and nodded, grinning broadly. "Positive, we found it. Hold your position! Over and out."

He turned towards Jondy and Max who were now both working at their respective computer stations. Jondy was better when it came to hacking but Max wasn't far behind her. Wolf walked over to his sister and looked at the screen but he had to admit he had no idea what she was doing; computers had never been his thing.

"Well?" he wanted to know.

"We're trying to get past the firewalls" Jondy informed him without looking up. "It might take some time."

"How long?"

"These are computers and not soldiers, Wolf" Max quipped. "You can't just boss them around."

"Max!" His voice was calm but nevertheless the brown-haired transgenic could hear the warning in it. She sighed and briefly looked at him.

"Five minutes, perhaps less" she informed him and he nodded satisfied. Silently she added: "No need to sulk."

He pretended he hadn't heard it.

"Command, this is X5-451, do you read me, over?"

"_Roger that, 451"_ came Lydecker's voice after a few seconds. He was sitting in the command center of Fortress Delta and was monitoring the whole operation together with Meyer, Coleman and the rest of the command staff. _"Reading you loud and clear, over."_

"Roger. The bunker is clear, no casualties. We found the network and are currently trying to hack it. Estimated time to exit: Fifteen minutes. Over."

"_Roger, 451."_ That was Meyer. _"We are deploying the Cougars, ETA twenty minutes, over."_

"Roger that, sir. 451 over and out." He terminated the connection and suddenly got aware of how Kyla looked at him. He frowned but didn't say anything as she signaled him to follow her. They went to the far end of the room. "What is it?"

"This is too easy" she said. "Okay, we surprised the guards outside, but those in here…this was just too easy. Did you notice how fast we were able to advance? They offered almost no resistance."

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"It's almost like they wanted us to make it this far."

"So what? We made it. Max and Jondy are gonna make the download and we're gonna get out again, where's the problem?" He wanted to turn away but she grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Don't you dare to mock me, Wolf!" she hissed through clenched teeth. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Careful, Kyla" he warned her. "I'm still your superior."

"Could you just forget about your rank for a second? You know as well as I that something's not right!"

"Of course I do" he snarled. "I know those guards were not augmented. I know that usually there should have been more resistance, that it's unusual they posted not even one augmented soldier to guard this facility and that they haven't tried to seal the doors to slow us down. But perhaps they don't have as much of their augmented soldiers as we thought, perhaps we won't find what we're looking for here or perhaps this facility is not as important to them as we believed."

"Or perhaps it's a trap!" She sighed. "Wolf, I know you. You have the same bad feeling about this as I do. I just want to get out of here as soon as possible."

"I understand, Kyla," he agreed much calmer again. "But we're not the only ones who know about that. The others have noticed it, too, but this is not the time to ponder on what might happen. We have a mission to accomplish and we will accomplish it. You'll see, in fifteen minutes we'll be aboard the Cougars riding back to Fortress Delta."

She breathed deeply and he could see the incertitude in her eyes. It was true, something was not right, but until know neither the recon teams nor the drone footage had showed anything to be worried about or command would have informed them.

"Hey, don't go all pensive now, 301" he ordered her almost playfully. At hearing her designation she looked up and the vivid spark in her eyes returned. "I need you focused. Are you with me?"

"As always, 451" she replied and smiled, suddenly looking a little bit more confident. "As always."

"Jackpot!" Jondy suddenly announced and in an instant all eyes were on her. "We're in."

"Is it what we were looking for?" Artemis wanted to know.

"Sure as hell looks like it" Max said with a small smile on her lips. "You start the download, Jondy?"

"On it" Max's sister replied. "Hm, that's strange."

"What?" Ares wanted to know immediately, sounding slightly alarmed.

"Well, it looks like the whole complex can be sealed from here" Jondy said. "I wonder why they didn't do it. It seems like they tried but something prevented them from doing it."

"Stop browsing already and start the download, Jondy" Havoc reminded her. "I want to get out of here. This hole gives me the creeps."

"Whatever" she replied briskly but silently she agreed. After the heat of battle was over and the adrenaline was starting to wear off they all felt it: Something was just not right.

* * *

_Washington DC – Alliance Headquarters_

"They're starting the download" the computer operator announced and looked at Renfro for instructions.

"Not yet" the blond woman replied calmly. "I want them to be in the open when it happens."

"They are fast" Cullins said while watching one of the screens. The hidden cameras had showed them the whole attack.

"I told you they're dangerous, Major" Renfro replied coldly, "But not for much longer. They're trapped."

"And what if they try to make it out through the escape tunnel?"

"That would even be better." Suddenly there was that predatory smile on her face again. "As a matter of fact I'm almost hoping they will do so."

"Why? Most of them would probably escape." Cullins looked at her astonished.

"You're an experienced soldier, Cullins, but you have no idea how those things feel. Don't worry, you'll see."

"Ma'am, sir?" the computer operator spoke up again. "They have finished the download and are leaving now."

"Order our ground troops to attack" Renfro ordered with barely hidden triumph in her voice, "and as soon as they're leaving the bunker activate our little surprise!"

* * *

_Fortress Delta – command center_

"_Command, this is 451. Download completed, we're pulling out, over."_ Wolf's voice was loud and clear and everybody in the command center of Fortress Delta breathed a sigh of relief and Meyer looked around, making sure everybody was still concentrating on his task. There were no transgenics around; they were too valuable field operatives to use them in a command center and so ordinary officers were sitting at the different computer work stations. Usually that was not a problem but ordinary humans sometimes just did not have the discipline and the concentration of a genetically enhanced soldier. This time however he couldn't detect any sign of a lack of concentration.

"Roger that, 451" the commanding officer of Fortress Delta replied. "Cougars are inbound, ETA five minutes. Over."

"_Roger, over and out."_

The connection was terminated and Meyer looked at Lydecker. "Well, it seems like they made it."

"Looks like it" the former head of Manticore agreed. "What about the attack force in Poland?"

"They should be in position in twenty minutes" Major Coleman replied. He had been assigned with the task to monitor the second unit's progress. Not a very interesting task but better than just sitting around.

"Order them to abort" Colonel Meyer ordered him. "We have what we need. And besides that…"

"Colonel!" another man of the command staff interrupted him. "Multiple contacts around the base near Strasbourg."

"Airborne?"

"Negative, ground forces!"

"Distance?"

"Two clicks, closing in fast! ETA five minutes!"

"Tell our teams to hurry up!" Meyer barked. There should be enough time for Delta platoon one and unit two to get on the Cougars before those troops arrived but somehow he suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.

"Hostile communication signal!" another operator, a young woman in the rank of a captain, announced.

"From where?" Lydecker wanted to know.

"Unknown. Sir…it…it looks like some sort of activation code."

"Activation of what?"

"Crap" somebody suddenly shouted; it was the drone operator. "Missile in the air, bearing 260, closing in fast. Initiating evasive maneuvers."

"What the hell is going on there?" another operator, a young lieutenant this time exclaimed. In a matter of seconds the situation in the command center had changed from tensed but calm to agitated and worried. "The drone footage shows multiple new heat contacts within the target area! They've not been there a second ago!"

"The missile has locked" the drone operator announced. "We'll lose the drone!"

Seconds after he said that the surface-to-air missile destroyed the observation drone and most of the screens in the command center went black.

"All units, all units, this is Colonel Meyer" the old Swiss officer shouted into the radio. "Abort mission, I repeat, abort mission. Hostile counterattack is en route. Do you copy, over?"

After a few seconds he looked up and shook his head.

"They're jamming our transmissions."

"So we're blind, deaf and mute" Lydecker summarized, his face a mask of cold horror. "Shit!"

* * *

_Same time - Strasbourg, France - former Maginot Line_

The second they left the bunker through the door Havoc had blasted open there was a flash in the sky above them. For a second they all stood there, stunned, until it dawned on them what had just happened.

"The observation drone" Brin whispered.

"Let's get moving!" Wolf shouted. He had heard Meyer's last warning about the incoming ground troops; they had to hurry. The transgenics turned towards the tree line where Carol was waiting for them with her platoon. Suddenly there was something between them and the woods. It looked almost like the ground was moving. They stopped dead in their tracks and raised their weapons. Before any of them could say anything about two dozen objects emerged from the dirt and rose into the air.

Max gasped when she recognized what they were facing: Hover drones.

Deactivated and buried under a layer of dirt the observation drone had not been able to distinguish them from all the other dead metal that was buried around the old bunker but now they had been activated by the very same signal the female captain in Fortress Delta had detected seconds ago.

"Carol" Ares shouted into his radio, "Do you see that?"

"_Positive"_ came the female Delta's answer. _"What the hell are those?"_

"Hell if I know, let's just get going!" He shared a brief look with Wolf and the X5 nodded grimly.

"Move it!" Wolf's brother shouted and the transgenics started to run towards the woods. As soon as they had moved the drones suddenly flashed into action. Their motion sensors registered the team of transgenic soldiers and they all turned towards them. Visual sensors scanned every person's face and the machines recognized their targets and went into attack mode. Every drone extended two small machine guns and as one they charged towards the surprised transgenics.

"They're armed!" Jace exclaimed and raised her rifle but it was too late; the first drone opened fire on her and two bullets hit her, one in the chest the other one in the shoulder. The young woman cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

"Cover!" several voices cried out at once and everybody tried to evade the short bursts of fire coming from the machines.

Not everybody succeeded.

Almost simultaneously Havoc and Blade were hit. The young man got hit in the shoulder when he tried to aim at one of the drones and fell to the ground. Immediately Nova was at his side. Blade suddenly felt a sharp pain in both of her legs as several bullets tore through them. With a muffled cry she fell as well.

Ares heard the Asian X5 cry out in pain and saw her fall. To his horror he also saw how the drone that had injured her steadied itself in the air and aimed at the young woman again.

"Blade" he shouted and raised his rifle but he already knew he would be too late.

Blade heard him calling out her name but she couldn't take her eyes off the machine that was about to kill her. Suddenly a huge figure stepped in between her and the drone. There was gunfire and the figure was thrown back and fell to the ground beneath her. The blink of an eye later the drone exploded as Ares and Brin opened fire on it simultaneously.

Blade tried to turn around to her fallen savior and found herself face to face with Bear. He grimaced with pain and when she looked down she could see blood oozing from several wounds in his chest. It had been him who had protected her.

"Bear…" she whispered, too shocked to do anything. She didn't even feel her own wounds at the moment. He just looked at her and suddenly he smiled. And then the light faded from his eyes. "Bear."

Suddenly Ares appeared at her side and lifted her off the ground, running towards the bunker's entrance.

Meanwhile the rest of the transgenics took out one drone after the other. They were machines and as such depended on their programming. They didn't try to evade the incoming fire and just charged towards the annoying ground soldiers again and again but their target programming lacked the accuracy of an X5 and after the first shock had worn off the transgenics were able to evade most of the attacks. In addition the platoon in the woods did whatever they could from the distance to provide cover for their comrades and soon the drones started dropping like flies.

After the last hover drone had been destroyed Wolf looked around, breathing heavily. Just when he was about to give the order to move towards the waiting SRTU platoon at least a dozen vehicles came into sight, speeding towards them. Even through the darkness he could see most of them had mounted machineguns; it would be suicide, none of them would make it across the clearing and into the woods. Suddenly it dawned on him that the drones had not been there to destroy them, but to slow them down, giving the ground troops enough time to cut them off.

"Fall back!" he shouted. "Retreat into the bunker!"

Immediately his siblings started moving towards the bunker again, one after the other disappearing into the complex. Only Wolf and Kyla stayed at the entrance, sending fire towards the incoming vehicles, trying to slow them down. The vehicles stopped and the men on the mounted machineguns opened fire to provide cover for their infantry which advanced towards the bunker now at a very high speed, too high for ordinary humans. Those were augmented Alliance soldiers now, Wolf realized, dozens of them.

"_This is Carol to all units"_ they suddenly heard the SRTU leader. _"We lost contact with command and we're taking heavy fire, we can't hold them off! We have to retreat! I say again, platoon one has to retreat! Out!"_

"Jondy, get ready to seal the doors" Wolf shouted into his radio.

"_Already on it! I have to hack the code"_ came the short reply. Then, after what seemed like an eternity: _"Ready, get in!"_

The two transgenics left their post and ran through the bunkers grey corridors until they reached the room with the computers where the rest of their unit was already waiting for them. Just when they entered Jondy activated the seal order and the doors behind the two X5s slammed shut and were locked automatically.

For a few seconds nobody said anything and Wolf took that time to have a good look at his team. They were all panting heavily. Blade was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, her face covered in cold sweat. She was pale and obviously in pain while Ares tried to stop the bleeding from the wounds on her legs. Jace was lying on the ground with Max and Alec at her side. His sister, too, had taken a bullet to her left arm but Alec had already bandaged the wound. Brin took care of Havoc's injured shoulder. Nova was kneeling besides an unmoving Bear but suddenly looked up and shook her head harshly, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Oh gods!" Artemis whispered.

Wolf looked at the lifeless body of the huge transgenic and suddenly wanted to scream in anger and frustration; the Alliance had taken another brother from them. But this was not the time to lose control.

"Jondy, open that escape tunnel" he ordered. "They will not need much time to get through those doors."

Max's sister just nodded and went to work, searching the computer for the access code to the hatch.

Meanwhile Nova had left Bear's side and went over to Blade and Ares. She quickly checked the bandages he had applied and nodded briefly before she reached into the bag she always carried with her as the team's medic and then injected the Asian X5 with a painkiller. This one was not enough to make her dizzy but it was sufficient to help her fight the pain.

"Will she be okay?" Ares wanted to know and for the first time since he had known the Delta soldier Wolf could hear fear in his voice.

"She will be" Nova assured him and put a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry."

Then she moved to Jace who was trying to lay still but from time to time started to cough and they could all hear that her lung was injured.

Suddenly there was a huge explosion.

"That was the first door" Kyla said grimly. "Five more to go. We have to move!"

"Jondy?" Wolf turned towards Max's sister.

"I'm in" she informed her siblings, "but we have a problem. If the hatch is opened every door in this bunker will unlock. Looks like a security measure, to assure everybody can escape in case of an emergency."

"So? We get into the tunnel and fall back in stages" Kyla said. "No problem, right?"

"Oh yes, there is a problem. Look at this!" Jondy ordered. Kyla and Wolf rounded the table and looked at the screen which showed a digital map of the bunker and the escape tunnel. They both immediately understood what Jondy was talking about and Kyla swore.

"What is it?" Max wanted to know.

"The tunnel is about eight hundred meters long and runs in a perfectly straight line" Jondy explained. "There is absolutely no cover."

"Then we won't make it!" Artemis objected. "Not without cover and the wounded. Not if the doors are unlocked. They will get in here and they'll have nothing else to do than stick a gun through that hatch and pull the trigger."

"Is there another way?" Wolf asked but Jondy shook her head.

"There has to be!" Nova exclaimed.

"If necessary we're gonna attack them, fight our way through them" Alec offered but he didn't sound very convinced. "Or we can hold our position until the SRTU return with reinforcement."

"That will take too much time" Kyla objected. "And besides that…"

"There is another way" Wolf suddenly spoke up, his voice grave. Everybody looked at him and they all felt they wouldn't like what their CO was about to say. "One of us has to cover the retreat through the tunnel."

They looked at him in shock and nobody dared to say a word. They didn't even move when another explosion rocked the ground.

"Wolf" Ares finally said. "What are you talking about?"

"What do you think I'm talking about" the shorthaired team leader answered with a sad smile. "It's simple: One of us has to stay behind."

* * *

**So, this is what happens when people start teasing me about cliffhangers: I go off the rails and...well, people die.**

**No, kidding, this was planned for a long time to happen.**

**During the next chapters you'll see if - and if yes, how - they're gonna make their escape and at what cost. Furthermore you'll see how they're gonna cope with their loss and what they're gonna do about it. Well, I have plenty of possibilities now !*evil grin***

**Well, tell what you think, please!**


	8. Relatives

Okay, here I am again. In this chapter you're gonna see if - and if yes, how - they're gonna escape this trap. I plan to bring back Logan during the next chapters along with most of all Kara and some of the other characters I haven't used in a while. Not the '09ers though, you'll have to wait a few chapters for them, I'm sorry.

**Taeniaea:** Thanks again!

**Alan Grey:** You're right, usually Lydecker always has a backup plan, but we must not forget that they're not at Manticore anymore so he's not really the commander anymore. But don't worry, they're not that stupid, you'll see. Yes, I like to write combat and that actually made me quite pensive. I mean, okay, it is fun to write those scenes but still it makes you thinking about why you're good at it. Well, I'm not a psychologist and I certainly won't evaluate myself. Enough thinking, more writing. And why do you think Wolf won't stay behind? We have a saying: "No good leader survives the war."

Your ideas concerning the tunnel and the traps are quite evil. Very effective, I admit it, but evil. Well, you'll see in this chapter why I can't do that. But nevertheless thank you, you gave me quite a few ideas for future chapters. And what about the cores? I mean, they downloaded the data, right? Or didn't they? Well, you know me well enough to answer that question, right? I thought about how I would bring Logan back but I forgot about Jonas. Nice idea, I think I'll use it!

I see why you think heading through the tunnel is a bad idea and given the circumstances I would usually agree, but you forget about Jace. Well, you'll see (I use that phrase quite often, don't I?) And I really begin to wonder if you know me in real life, because you are almost always correct with your predictions.

Okay, I've said enough, if I give you anymore information you won't have to read the chapter, so...I won't ;) Thanks too for your comment about my English. I know I make mistakes but I really try not to. Thank you very much again! Read and enjoy!

**nattylovesu:** yep, Renfro is evil. Usually I like the evil guys but she's really over the top. Glad you liked it!

**452max:** Thanks to you, too. Hope you're gonna like this one, too.

**throwerpro:** Trying to do to you? Well, nothing *gg* Well, okay, I admit the ending was a little bit evil.

* * *

"No way!" Kyla stated firmly, glaring at him defiantly and angry at the same time. "There's no way you're gonna stay behind, Wolf!"

"It's not like we have a choice" he reminded her and then looked at the others. His siblings were staring at him in shock and he could see the same defiance in their eyes he had seen in Kyla's. But he could also see that some of them were slowly beginning to understand that he was right. Unfortunately Kyla didn't.

"There's no way in hell I'm gonna allow you to stay here!" she hissed. "We're going through the tunnel, the wounded first and rest of us will cover the door until we're out!"

"You know that's never gonna work, Kyla" Wolf insisted. "We have no cover there and once we open that hatch they'll be in here in about a thirty seconds and open fire on us. Not even we are fast enough to make it through that tunnel in that time."

"We can…!"

"No we can't, Kyla" she was cut off by Ares. The Swiss transgenic shook his head. He had made sure Blade's wounds were not life-threatening and now he stood up and approached them. "Wolf is right; we would never make it if nobody stays here to slow them down. We don't even know what's in that tunnel; there could be every sort of trap and by now some of their ground forces are most likely already waiting for us at the exit."

"This is none of your business so shut up!"

"We have to slow them down somehow" Artemis said.

"But certainly not by leaving one of our own behind!" Kyla wasn't about to change her mind.

Wolf shook his head and went over to Nova who was taking care of Jace together with Alec and Max. The injured X5 looked pale and he could hear her labored breathing. Obviously her injuries were more serious than he had thought first.

"How is she?"

"She needs medical attention" the blond medic said, not paying attention to the discussion that went on. "If she isn't in an OP within an hour she'll die. Wolf, we need to get out of here."

"I know" he nodded and turned towards the rest of his team again; he had come to a decision. "Try to keep her awake."

When he returned to the others Kyla, Artemis and Ares were still arguing. The rest of the team were watching them but didn't speak up. Wolf could clearly see they knew leaving one of their own behind was the only way but they were too disgusted by that thought and too afraid of it to speak it out loud. Just when he reached the discussing trio there was another explosion, much closer this time.

"Another one" Ares growled. "There are only three more of those blast doors between them and us. We have to move and you know it!"

"I never said we didn't have to get out of here. But we will not leave one of our unit behind! And you can be sure I will not…ah!" Kyla snarled getting angrier when she suddenly felt a stabbing pain in her neck. Out of instinct she turned around and backed off before she got aware of Wolf standing behind her. "What the…?"

When she saw the look of terrible sadness in his eyes she fell silent and then without warning she started to feel dizzy. She gasped in realization when her eyes fell on the syringe in his hand. Nobody had noticed when he had taken it out of Nova's bag, not even the medic herself who was too busy trying to stabilize Jace. They all had some painkillers in their personal equipment but only Nova had those who were strong enough to actually knock out a transgenic; even for an X5 they caused unconsciousness for almost an hour and were only used when all else failed and the pain was too intense. And Wolf had just injected her with one of them.

"No" Kyla whispered, understanding what he was trying to do and panic threatened to overwhelm her. She tried to take a step towards him but failed miserably when her body didn't obey her anymore. She stumbled and fell and fortunately Artemis and Wolf reacted fast enough and caught her before she hit the hard concrete. He knelt down on the ground and held her carefully, her head resting against his chest. By now almost her whole body was numb and cold, yet her eyes never left his. "Wolf, what have you done?"

"It is the only way" he said in a grave voice. "And I know you'd never let me do it."

"No, no, no, no!" she begged desperately. She frantically tried to move but her drugged body wouldn't obey her will anymore. Slowly tears of frustration and desperation started running down her cheeks. "You can't do that! Please, Wolf, I can't…I…please don't…!"

"Shh, it will be okay" he tried to calm her. By now the whole team was looking at them, Jondy and Brin had even left their positions, but he didn't care. He could see Kyla was slowly drifting away into unconsciousness and it broke his heart they were only given so little time. When another explosion announced the destruction of yet another blast door he briefly closed his eyes and fought the anger he felt towards their enemies. When he opened them again even through her blurry vision Kyla could see the shimmering tears in his eyes as well and his voice was raw with emotion. "I want you to live and this is the only way to ensure that."

"Please…don't go…me…I…love…" she mumbled incoherently almost unconscious by now. Wolf suddenly silenced her, sealing her lips with his own. It was a bitter kiss. There was no passion in it, no warmth, only a feeling of loss, anger, sorrow and finality. When he pulled back Kyla had already closed her eyes.

"I love you, too, Kyla" Wolf whispered barely audible not caring everybody in the room could hear him. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. When he opened them again he got aware of his siblings standing around the two of them, all silent and at a respectful distance. He straightened up and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Artemis, take her!"

Without a word the shorthaired sniper appeared at his side and wrapped her arms around Kyla to keep her from falling while Wolf stood up.

"Gather your arms!" he ordered his voice cold and almost emotionless again. It was the only way to keep him from breaking down in despair. "Those carrying the wounded go through the hatch first."

"Wolf, this is crazy!" Max suddenly spoke up. She hadn't said anything until now but she couldn't let this happen. "There must be another way!"

"There isn't!" he shouted but calmed down quickly when he saw how she flinched. "Max, there isn't and you know it."

"I could do it." Everybody turned towards Ares. The Swiss transgenic shared a brief look with Blade. "I could stay behind, Wolf."

"I appreciate that, Ares, but no. This is my team and my responsibility." The black-haired X5 shook his head. He looked around and he could see all his siblings were about to object. "And now you all stop it! The decision has been made. We have too many wounded to fight them here and it will take us too much time to get through the tunnel if nobody slows them down. We don't even know what's in there, there could be traps or gods know what else. Stop arguing with me and get ready."

None of them moved and he suddenly felt his anger rising. He looked at Alec, the highest-ranking soldier after himself and Kyla and narrowed his eyes at him.

"I'm giving you a direct order, soldier" Wolf snarled menacingly. "Get moving! NOW!"

Alec winced slightly at the last barked word. After a few seconds of hesitation he nodded, his lips firmly pressed together. He didn't like it, he didn't want to do it but the soldier had kicked in. He had trusted Wolf his entire life and knew his CO was only doing what was best for the team; although he hated himself for admitting that.

"Get ready!" he ordered. "Havoc, you take Bear! Artemis, Nova, you're gonna carry Kyla and Jace! Ares, you take Blade! Move it!"

Reluctantly at first the transgenics moved, gathering their equipment and weapons and then heading towards the hatch. When they passed Wolf they all shared a brief look with the young man they had known since they could remember; their friend, their commanding officer, their brother. Nobody said a word but they all briefly touched him as if to say goodbye and giving him strength. Some of them had tears in their eyes and they all knew it would be the last time they'd ever see him. Artemis – carrying the unconscious Kyla on her shoulders – had already walked past him when she suddenly turned around and hugged him fiercely, wrapping her free arm around him.

"I'm so sorry, Wolf" she whispered hoarsely. The shorthaired sniper had always been very close to her older sibling.

"Take good care of Kyla" he answered. "I'm afraid she will not understand."

"I will" she assured him and nodded once they had separated again. "I promise I will."

Max was the last one. She approached her brother - her twin - slowly, her face a mask of terrible sadness.

"I could…" she began with hesitation but he cut her off.

"No, Max. I know what you want to say, but I don't want to hear it. I need you to help Artemis taking care of Kyla; tell her, I'm sorry. She will not…" he trailed off and for a moment he seemed lost for words, but he straightened up again. "Take care of yourself, Max!"

She nodded and lowered her head, trying to hide her teary eyes from him. He took a step forward and hugged her, too. He could feel she was shaking and barely holding back her sobs.

"I don't want to do this!" she exclaimed.

"Neither do I" he murmured hoarsely, "but our enemies never asked us what we wanted."

For a few seconds they just stood like that in silence, brother and sister saying goodbye to each other.

"Go, Max" he insisted. "Go now!"

She finally nodded and made her way to her waiting siblings. He knew they all wanted to disobey, to refuse his order. He could practically sense how every part of their souls screamed at them to stay with their brother, to fight and not to run. But this time the soldiers inside them won. Kyla was the only one who would have been able to overrule him. Alec was a loyal soldier and a brilliant squad leader but he would do what Wolf ordered him to do – even if he hated it – and the others would follow. Only the former '09ers looked like they were about to rebel but seeing the rest of their unit preparing to leave and understanding the urgency of the situation they said nothing.

Wolf knew he forced them to do a terrible thing by leaving him behind but he could also see they would obey, simply because there was no other option, no chance of survival.

They all kept looking at their commanding officer who was now staying in the middle of the room, alone. But unlike minutes before he didn't look broken and sad anymore; he had become the very image of a determined and proud soldier again. When another explosion shook the ground he briefly glanced towards the last blast door that separated him from the Alliance soldiers and then back at his siblings again. There was small smile on his face and he nodded at them one last time.

"Get out already! Run fast, don't look back!"

Alec shook his head. This was so wrong! Still he finally opened the hatch and disappeared into the pitch black tunnel. One after the other the X5s followed him, all of them glancing at Wolf one last time with silent sorrow and apology in their eyes.

When the last of his siblings had disappeared Wolf turned towards the steel door. He had heard how it had been unlocked when the hatch had been opened and if he listened intensely enough he could even hear his enemies approaching. He opened a comm channel, knowing his siblings would listen while advancing through the escape tunnel. He hadn't wanted to say those words while they still had been in the same room with him out of fear some of they would refuse his order to leave.

"X5 unit two, this is Wolf." His voice was calm and controlled. "I know leaving me behind is hard for you, but I want you to know that it is the only way and that none of this evening's events has been your fault; you followed my orders and it is my responsibility to get you out of here and to safety. It has been an honor to serve with you and it's even a bigger honor to have known you as my siblings, fellow soldiers, as my brothers and sisters. Don't forget that you're family, stick together and take care of each other. We'll see each other on the other side!"

He paused briefly and sighed before he continued: "This is X5-451 and this is my last order: Keep fighting and protect each other! X5-451, last transmission. Over and out!"

He terminated the connection and smashed the radio against the wall, destroying it for good. Nobody should be able to use it to listen to his unit's radio traffic. He could hear how the Alliance soldiers took position outside the door and retreated behind one of the computer work stations. Raising his assault rifle at the door he felt how adrenaline started to rush through his body again; suddenly he got aware of the smell of blood and gunpowder in the air again. He felt how his body prepared for his last battle and he growled in anticipation.

"Bring it on!"

* * *

"This is fantastic!" Renfro said with triumph in her voice. They were all staring at the main screen in the room, watching the transgenics enter the escape tunnel while one of them – X5-451 – stayed behind.

"With all due respect, Director, why are you so happy?" Cullins wanted to know. "Most of them are escaping through the tunnel and there is no guarantee our ground forces will be able to neutralize them all."

"He's right, Elizabeth" the white-haired council leader agreed. "Why do we risk that some of them escape?"

"I know how those things think" the blond woman answered with a mean smile, not taking her eyes off the screen. "They consider each other as family, as siblings. It's not that surprising; they have never known other people than the members of their units after all. They are forced to run and leave one of their own behind, what do you think does that do to them?"

She finally looked at the two men and they both seemed to begin to understand.

"Psychological warfare" the older of the two men said and nodded approvingly. "I'm impressed, Elizabeth."

"Divide and conquer" she answered with a small grin. Brute force had never been her primary choice of weapon; her goal was to destroy their enemy from within, ruining their will to fight and then crushing them when they didn't have any strength to resist anymore. It almost always meant they didn't lose many of their soldiers; those guys weren't cheap after all and they hadn't that many of them. "After this night their spirit will be broken. They just lost the initiative."

"Then why don't we finish them now?" Cullins asked. "We have the forces in position; the tunnel is perfect for an ambush. Why don't we just blow their heads off, take the one we need and be done with it?"

"Soldiers!" Renfro snarled derisively, her good mood suddenly gone. "We won't do that because I don't trust your men, Major. X5-452 is wounded although our forces had very explicit orders not to fire on her and I won't take the risk they hit something more important than her arm next time!"

"A stray bullet" the young Major snorted dismissively. "Things like that happen in the field."

"I don't care about your war stories, Cullins! We need both 452s alive, the X5 and the X7. That's also why we didn't use the bunkers internal defensive systems and that's why your soldiers are not gonna attack while they are still inside the bunker. X5s are immune to most chemical and biological warfare and if we would use one they're not immune to we would risk killing 452. So no automatic weaponry, no mines, no warfare agent. We're gonna wait until they leave the tunnel and then your snipers can have their target practice if – and only if – they get a clear shot at the rest of them. End of discussion!"

She returned her attention to the screen were X5-451 was about to be killed, ignoring the seething Major at her side. The white-haired man didn't say anything. He just stood behind his two subordinates and did his best to hide his smile. As long as they were fighting against each other none of them would get the idea to try and get his position.

* * *

_Fortress Delta – command center_

"Sir, one of our Cougars just disappeared from the radar!"

"What?" Meyer looked at the radar operator with a new level of worry in his eyes. If they lost the Cougars they'd lose every possibility to extract their ground troops. "How?"

"Unknown, sir, we're still unable to contact any of our forces in the area."

"This is a disaster!" Lydecker sighed.

"Damned right it is" his friend agreed. Cougar helicopters didn't just vanish like that and they all knew their enemies had anti-air capabilities since they shot down the observation drone. "And I've had enough of it!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I hoped I would not be forced to do that. It will complicate matters, to say the least. "Meyer growled and turned towards the communication officer. "Give me Aubagne!"

"Yes, sir!"

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Lydecker watched his friend with growing suspicion. "What are you up to, Chris?"

"For how long have you known me by now, Deck? You should know I always have a backup plan."

"Connection established, Colonel" the comm. officer informed him.

"Ici Colonel Christian Meyer, Suisse SRTU" Meyer said. "François, tu m'entends?" _(This is Colonel Christian Meyer, Swiss SRTU. Do you hear me, François?)_

_"Je t'entends, Christian_" a disembodied voice answered from the loudspeakers. _"Qu'est-ce qu'il y a?_" _(I hear you, Christian. What's up?)_

"Mes troupes ont rencontré de résistance très violente et on a perdu contact avec eux. J'ai besoin de ton aide!"_ (My forces have encountered violent resistance and we have lost contact with them. I need your help.)_

_"J'ordonne mon unité d'attaquer. Mais comme je t'ai déjà dit: C'est inofficiel. Ça pourrait causer de problèmes graves. (I'll order my unit to attack. But as I told you before: This is nonofficial. It could cause severe problems.)_

"Je sais!" Meyer answered and sighed. "Je ne te demanderais pas si je n'étais pas absolument sûre que c'est nécessaire." _(I know. I wouldn't ask you if I wasn't absolutely sure this is necessary.)_

_"J'espère que tu as raison, mon ami."_ Even though Lydecker didn't understand what the man on the other end of the line was saying he could hear the concern and worry in his voice. _"Mes hommes seront là dans dix minutes. François, terminé."_ _(I hope you're right, my friend. __My men will be there in ten minutes. François, out.)_

The connection was terminated and Meyer turned towards Lydecker and Coleman again.

"Who the hell was that? He was speaking French, right?" the former Major of Manticore black ops wanted to know. "What did he say?"

"An old friend who owes me a favor. It's our last chance to get your and my soldiers out of there alive" the commanding officer of Fortress Delta answered grimly. "I'll explain it later."

* * *

They were running through the hardly illuminated escape tunnel and just like Jondy had predicted that thing was dead straight, no possibility to hide. Max had put on a stoic face and seemed to concentrate on her task: Getting out of that hellhole. But inside she was screaming in frustration. Every last bit of her wanted to turn around and run back to her brother even more since they had received his last transmission. But she didn't. Just like the rest of them she knew it would be a futile attempt; the official world record for an 800m race was one minute and thirty-nine seconds and although they were transgenics with all the wounded they had to carry they would need at least ninety seconds to make it to the exit.

She was surprised they had not been attacked yet. She had expected the tunnel to be full of automatic weapons or at least some sort of defense mechanism to stop somebody from entering the bunker without being detected but until know everything had been quiet and she wasn't about to complain about that. They reached the exit hatch that would – hopefully – lead to the woods outside the facility and without hesitation Ares and Alec opened it and slipped out. There was a ladder that led up, possibly to another hidden entrance, just like they had seen it in Fortress Delta. Max could smell fresh air and felt the coldness of the night outside. One after the other the X5s stepped through the hatch; it seemed like they would make it after all.

She and Jondy were the last ones to leave and just when they were about to follow their siblings they heard gunfire from the room where they had left Wolf behind. There were several explosions from grenades – not flashbangs this time but the lethal ones – and after about ten seconds even over the distance she could hear her brother scream in agony. The sound of her pained twin was enough to make her stop dead in her tracks and turn around to look back again. Abruptly the screaming stopped and deadly silence filled the tunnel. Max stood there, frozen in realization and horror, unable to move. It was like her inside had just turned to ice; she didn't even feel her own injured arm anymore.

"Max!" Jondy reached out and touched her shoulder. Her voice trembled and if Max had not been so shocked she would have noticed the tears in her older sister's eyes. "Max, we must go, come on!"

As if in trance Max followed her sibling through the hatch. Just when Jondy was about to close it the hatch at the other end of the tunnel was opened and somebody started shooting. Without hesitation Jondy slammed the hatch shut and sealed it. It wouldn't stop the Alliance soldiers from pursuing them but she hoped it would at least slow them down.

"Max, Jondy!" Alec suddenly shouted from above. "Get up here!"

Mechanically Max obeyed and after some seconds she and Jondy found themselves out in the woods again. Jace, Bear, Blade and Kyla lay on the ground while the rest of their siblings had formed a protective circle around them. Their position was good; there were some small rocks and the trees around them provided good cover but they all knew they couldn't stay for long.

"I still can't reach the Cougars!" Ares informed them. "We have to get out of here, now!"

"Agreed" Alec nodded grimly. "We move to the South until we're able to call in extraction. Jondy, take point, Ares, you're second. Then the wounded. Havoc, you and I are last!"

"Got it!" Jondy replied and stood up but just when she was about to move out a single shot was fired from somewhere. The bullet hit her right in the chest and she was violently thrown back and fell to the ground with a choked scream.

"JONDY!" Without thinking Max jumped up and ran towards her fallen sister. As if on cue they suddenly took fire from all around them, forcing them to duck for cover.

"Max" she heard Alec. "Come back!"

She didn't listen. She had just lost her twin; she wouldn't lose Jondy, too. She was in the open and without cover; Max knew she had to get her sister back to where her siblings where returning fire on their attackers. Ignoring the bullets she ran towards the wounded X5 and dropped to her knees beside her.

"Jondy!" she panted, "where are you hit?"

"Chest" the brown-haired woman answered weekly between coughs. There was blood on her lips and she didn't move at all. "Max…Max, I can't…I can't feel my legs!"

"I'll get you back" Max promised trying to fight the rising panic she felt. "It'll be okay, Jondy. It…it'll be okay."

She grabbed her injured sibling and dragged her back to the rest of her unit. It didn't take her long but surely long enough so the Alliance soldiers could have shot her. But for whatever reason they didn't. As soon as she had taken cover again she carefully lowered Jondy to the ground.

"Medic!" Her desperate shout wasn't even necessary; Nova was already at their side. One look told the blond woman enough and she swore.

"Turn her over, Max!" Max did as told and Nova inspected Jondy's back. "Thank the gods, no exit wound!"

"Could you please hurry up a little bit" Havoc shouted. "We have to get out of here!"

"We're going nowhere like that!" Ares shouted back. "Dammit, we're pinned down here!"

He and the other transgenics who were still able to fight did what they could to hold their enemies at bay but it seemed hopeless. Most of the Alliance soldiers didn't even really try to shoot them; they just provided enough suppressing fire for their snipers to get a clear shot. One of them nearly got Artemis and the shorthaired X5 swore violently.

"Where the hell is my sniper rifle when I need it?"

"Stop talking and…" Alec began but was cut off when there was suddenly a roar of airplane engines. A split second later the darkness of the night was lit up by a gigantic fireball about half a mile away, right where the clearing and the bunkers were located. The ground shook and the transgenics watched in awe as the fires of hell rose towards the dark sky.

"That was not meant for us. Who…" Nova began when suddenly new gunfire erupted from their right flank. They all ducked for cover once more but this time the fire wasn't directed at them but at the ground forces of the Alliance. Their augmented enemies tried to fight back but they were caught off guard and without cover to shield them against this new attacker. One after the other fell until after about thirty seconds the fire stopped.

"_Swiss SRTU"_ an unidentified female voice with a strange accent suddenly rang out over wireless. _"Manticore X5s, do you read, over?"_

"Who is this?" Alec wanted to know.

"_This is the French SRTU"_ the voice informed them. _"Please, do not open fire. We're here to help you."_

"What are you…?" Alec began but was once more interrupted, but this time by Ares.

"Sarah? Sarah is that you?" he answered over radio; he sounded almost excited. "This is Delta-26, Ares, please respond, over!"

"_Positive, it's me. I'm glad you're still alive. Do not shoot, I'm coming out."_

"Nobody shoots!" Ares ordered vehemently. "Nobody shoots, they're friendlies!"

When he was sure the X5s wouldn't shoot he carefully stood up. All of a sudden there was a movement about fifty meters from their position and although they had been told their unknown saviors were friendly the Manticore transgenics raised their weapons again but didn't open fire yet; they were just nervous and had lost too much this night already to take any risks. Several figures approached slowly and with their enhanced eyesight Max and her siblings could make out French uniforms and weapons. Ares suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and left his cover.

"Would you please tell me what you're doing in my country, Ares?" one of the newcomers wanted to know. It was a woman about their age and apparently the leader of the small group.

"My job, Sarah" the Delta transgenic answered. "Damn it, I'm glad to see you. What are you doing here?"

"My job. I'll explain it later" she answered with a small smile and then looked at what was left of unit two. They still hadn't left their covers. "Distrustful people, your American friends. You have wounded?"

"And dead" Ares informed her gravely. "We need to get the wounded out of here immediately."

"Feel free. That little napalm attack back there" she nodded towards where the remains of the fireball still illuminated the night "fried all of their anti-air crews and the jamming transmitter."

"You sure?"

"The destruction of the anti-air has been confirmed by our pilots. They scanned the area; there are no radar signatures anymore; whatever they used, we destroyed it. And I can contact my base in Aubagne, so I think you should be able to talk to your Cougars, too" she offered with a shrug. "There is a small clearing about three hundred meters to the West, big enough for a small landing zone."

"Okay, thanks" he agreed and hailed the helicopters. "Shadow squadron, this is Delta-26, do you read me, over?"

"_Roger that, reading you loud and clear, over."_

"Roger, we need immediate extraction. Hostile anti-air capabilities have been disabled. Come and get us, I'm sending you the coordinates, over."

"_Are you sure about that?"_ the pilot sounded anxious. _"We already lost Cougar three, over."_

"Positive, I'm sure" Ares replied a little bit louder. "Now come and pick us up, that's an order. Ares over and out!"

He turned towards Sarah again who was waiting patiently. The rest of her unit secured their environment and the X5s, seeing that the newcomers were no danger to them tried to help them while Nova and Max were trying to stabilize Jondy. The French SRTU gritted her teeth when she saw the many wounded.

"How many did you lose?" she wanted to know from Ares.

"Two until know" he replied. "And if we don't get out of here anytime soon there will be more. And I don't know about my platoon, we've lost contact. Have you helicopters close-by?"

"Negative. This was an infantry mission. Even the fighter jets which dropped the napalm on those sons of bitches weren't planned. We called them in when we saw they were starting to shoot rockets at your helicopters. At least one of them got hit, I'm sorry."

"Where's the nearest hospital which can treat transgenics?"

"Aubagne."

"That's too far" he mused. "We're going to Fortress Delta then."

"Whatever you're planning" Nova suddenly shouted, "hurry up, I don't know how long Jondy's gonna make it without an OP."

Ares looked briefly at the blond X5 and gritted his teeth; it would take them sometime to get back to Fortress Delta but without proper treatment Bear and Wolf would surely not be the only casualties of this night. And with only two Cougars there was no way he could extract unit two and Delta platoon one at once. If the platoon was still alive at all. He felt worry and desperation rise within him and he looked back at Sarah but she nodded before he could say anything.

"We'll stay here and guard the area until all of your forces have left. Take your wounded and go."

"Thank you, Sarah, thank you very much!" By now they could already hear the approaching helicopters. "Alec, let's go. Get the wounded and move."

"About time!" the young man growled. Technically he was the commanding officer of their unit now but seeing that Ares and this Sarah apparently knew each other he had left the talking to the Delta soldier. "Okay, get the wounded and move; we're going home!"

Ten seconds later the small group of transgenics moved out, the X5s with their wounded and dead in the middle while their French relatives covered them. Just when they reached the clearing two Cougar helicopters arrived and started to descend.

"Fortress Delta, Fortress Delta, this is Delta-26" Ares hailed their base. "Can you hear me, over?"

"_Loud and clear, Delta-26"_ he got the answer from Colonel Meyer. _"It's good to hear your voice again. What's your status?"_

"Mission accomplished" out of the corner of his eyes he could see several X5s who shot him incredulous glances. "We're coming home. We have wounded and dead, I repeat, we have wounded and dead. Prepare for emergency surgeries."

* * *

_Fortress Delta – Hangar – twenty minutes later_

"Did he say how many wounded?" Hayden wanted to know just when he entered the hangar together with O'Neill, Coleman and the two Colonels.

"Negative" Lydecker answered briskly "but it didn't sound good."

Then the hangar roof opened and they could see the dark silhouette of the two surviving Cougars against the black sky. Slowly the two aircrafts descended and landed safely. When the doors opened the waiting medics and doctors rushed towards the two helicopters. Cougar one had transported the wounded members of Delta platoon one while the X5s were in Cougar two. The third helicopter had been caught off guard by an anti-air-missile and from what he had heard Lydecker knew already there had been no survivors. Fortunately – if you could call it like that – there had only been the flight crew on board when it had happened; two pilots and the loadmaster. He chased that thought away and followed Hayden who was already helping the wounded.

He had learned that those of the Delta platoon who were not injured had stayed in France together with the French units so all of the wounded could be flown out at once. And there were lots of them. There were screams of pain, small hisses and curses. As far as he could see at least nine Delta soldiers were injured, three of them so badly the medics had to transport them out of the hangar on stretchers.

And the rest of them didn't look any better.

The usually so disciplined transgenic soldiers looked exhausted to death and almost all of them had received small wounds. Their uniforms were dirty, some of them bloodstained. They let their equipment fall to the floor and sat down were they were, letting the remaining medics do their job. The old Colonel proceeded towards the second Cougar where his kids were sitting on the floor just like their Swiss counterparts. He had tried to find out over wireless what had happened but the pilot had been unable to answer his questions and the rest of his unit had apparently been too busy to reply. Now he understood why.

Several medics transported Jondy and Jace out of the hangar, both young women lying on stretchers and apparently unconscious. He could see Blade lying on the floor and the SRTU soldier 26 – Ares – taking care of what seemed to be bullet wounds on both of her legs. A little bit to the side lay another figure, not moving, not breathing. Somebody had covered his face with a blanket but Lydecker knew it was Bear. He closed his eyes and swore silently; another one of his children had died.

When he opened them again he took a good look at the rest of the unit; they were just as dirty and exhausted as all of the other soldiers and also almost all of them were wounded. Suddenly he gasped when he saw the motionless body of Kyla in Artemis' arms but he relaxed when he saw she was still breathing.

"Colonel" Alec stood up slowly, obviously in pain, and saluted.

"What happened?"

"An ambush, sir…I…" Alec looked around, helpless. "We did what we could, but Bear…he…"

"It's okay, soldier" the older man tried to calm down the young X5. "What is with Kyla and where is Wolf? I thought the whole unit would be flown out together."

When he mentioned the name of the unit's leader he saw a flash of guilt and pain in the X5's eyes and when he looked around he saw the same signs on all his kids' faces.

"Alec" he asked again with more fear in his voice this time. "Where's Wolf?"

"He…he got left behind, sir!"

"What?"

"We had no choice, sir, we were being overwhelmed. He stayed behind and covered our retreat, sir." Alec didn't dare to look his superior in the eye.

Lydecker was about to say something when Kyla suddenly spoke up, quietly but still loud enough for all of them to hear it.

"Wolf?" She tried to sit up but the sedative while slowly wearing off was still too strong and she fell back into Artemis' arms. Immediately all they eyes of her siblings were on her. "Where…where are we…?"

"Fortress Delta" Artemis informed her. "We're back. We…we made it."

"That's good." She tried to sit up again and this time she succeeded but she still was kind of weak and Artemis had to hold her. Max slowly approached her two friends while the rest of the X5s was watching their 2IC carefully.

"Hey, Kyla" Max began, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a train." Kyla was now almost fully awake, only her body still felt kind of numb. She looked around. "What happened?"

When nobody answered her immediately she frowned and looked from one of her siblings to another; and then the memories started coming back.

"No" she whispered in shock. "You didn't…you didn't leave him there! Tell me you didn't!"

"Kyla, there was no alternative" Alec tried. "He wanted to…"

"NOOOO!" the shorthaired screamed. It was the sound of a deadly wounded animal and almost everybody in the hangar froze for a moment and looked at her, hearing her pain. "You damned cowards!"

She tried to stand up and when Artemis held her back she started to struggle, trying to get free.

"How could you do this!" she screamed again and again, desperation, anger and hatred in her voice. "Wolf! NOOO! Let go of me!"

"Soldier!" Lydecker barked. "Calm down, that's an order!"

"Get away from me you weak, old drunk!" the young woman yelled. Lydecker stopped and stared at her as if she had hit him. "How could you let him do this? How could you let him do this? All of you! You damned…he would have done everything for you and you left him behind!"

"Nova, help me, dammit!" Artemis panted. Although Kyla was still partially drugged the sniper could barely hold her anymore. Immediately the medic was at her side and together they managed to hold their 2IC down.

"Get her out of here!" Lydecker ordered still shaken up by the young woman's insults and the two X5s were quick to obey. Together they forced a screaming and struggling Kyla out of the hangar and towards the medical wing where they hoped they could either calm her down or if necessary sedate her again. After they'd left Lydecker turned towards Alec. "What the hell has happened out there, Alec?"

"Sir, with all due respect" the male X5 began, "this is a very long story."

Lydecker almost yelled at him but at the last moment he understood and nodded.

"You're right. Okay, all of you: Get yourself checked in the medical wing and after that wait in your quarters and eat something, sleep. Alec, if there are no further complications I want to see this unit in the briefing room in twelve hours, understood?"

"Yes, Colonel!" Alec saluted tiredly and turned towards his siblings, glad he would have some time to prepare his explanations. That would be one hell of a debriefing but right now he didn't really care. "Okay, you heard it. Let's move."

In this moment some of the medics returned and helped the rest of the injured soldiers – X5s and Deltas alike – out of the big hall. Slowly all transgenics left the hangar one after the other. Max was one of the last. She had refused the help of the medical staff; it was just a minor injury after all; she would live. While slowly walking towards the exit her mind was racing. Now after the adrenalin and the stress of battle had worn off she was beginning to feel like she had been beaten up. She hurt and she knew even her transgenic body would need some time to regenerate completely.

And she finally began to realize what she – what they all – had lost this night. The sensation of loss and the feeling to have failed hit her without warning. Suddenly her eyes started to burn and she started to walk faster, nobody should see her cry, not now.

She needed somebody to talk. Not the Colonel, she needed somebody who not only knew her as a soldier but also as a person. Not one of her siblings; they all felt the same she did and she couldn't burden them with her problems now. But who? Who would understand?

Logan!

Yes, Logan would understand! She didn't even know what she would tell him, what she could tell him but she knew he would understand her. He would be able to…

"Max?" The small and almost frightened voice startled her out of her thoughts. There, just beside the exit stood Kara. Hayden had told her to stay in her quarters when he had been summoned to the hangar but the X7 was sick of always staying in that room and so she had sneaked out and had come here. The soldiers and the medical staff had been too busy to notice her and she had watched the helicopters arrive, had seen Jondy and Jace being rushed to the medical wing, had witnessed Kyla's outburst and although she was an X7, a highly trained and genetically enhanced soldier, she was also a small girl with little experience of life and what she had seen during the last minutes had confused and worried her and she was looking for answers, especially for one: "Max, where is our brother?"

* * *

**Okay, I have to admit this was one of the most difficult chapters to write, at least from a personal POV.**

**I won't say too much about it now, I'd like to see your reactions first.**

**So please, tell me what you think!**


	9. Aftermath

Okay, here we go again. You'll get to see how the team's gonna deal with the aftermath of the battle. I can tell you already it's not gonna be very happy. Still I hope you're gonna like it (weird to say that).

Thanks to all of my reviewers once again, you're great!

**Divine Fighter:** Hm, we'll see about what Max is gonna do. About the last chapter being sad: Right about that. And I already apologize because this one isn't any happier. But don't worry, it will get better. Eventually. Thanks for the review!

**452max:** Thanks to you, too. Nope, this time Max couldn't do anything, but we'll see what the future holds in store.

**throwerpro:** Warnings to you, too, this chapter is sad as well. I hope you can still enjoy it.

**Alan Grey:** First of all I hope you got my mail, if not: Tell me.

Then: Thanks for correcting my mistakes. The know-now thing happens to me quite often, to be honest and all those –ing endings…English grammar *sigh*

Is Wolf dead? Isn't he? Is he? You'll have to continue reading to find out. Yes, a little bit unfair, I know ;) And that thing about the leaders surviving the war; we're talking about combat leaders and not politicians, but of course you are right. Different POV.

I'm glad you liked the part with Kyla, I wasn't sure if I got it right. And don't worry: Whether Wolf is dead or alive the Alliance is in for some rough times. But as I said above: First unit two has to deal with the aftermath of the battle and as I told the other reviewers already it will not be too pretty.

There will be some tiny bits of information about Sarah and I plan to integrate the other SRTU units into this story in the future. And you know about the Foreign Legion? I like that? Ever been to Aubagne before? It's quite impressive!

Kara's there as is Logan. The scene will be pretty short but I promise there is more to come! Lydecker and Kyla will play their part as well but if possible don't judge them and their reactions from this chapter only. There will be more during the next two or three chapters. You'll see (yep, I said it again).

The French was not a problem; I have to instruct my recruits in both German and French. No, the last chapter was difficult to write because I had to hurt Wolf and Kyla; they're my characters after all and I think I got sort of attached. Well, life's hard.

And I can tell you already: No, they're not gonna retrieve Wolf's body. Wanna know why? Well, read and find out ;)

Thank you very much again!

* * *

"After we had made contact with the French SRTU Ares ordered the Cougars to come and pick us up and we returned to Fortress Delta" Alec finished his debriefing report. "You know the rest."

Max looked around and what she saw made her almost feel sick. When he had realized how devastated the transgenics were Lydecker had delayed the debriefing. By know it had been almost three days since the fiasco at the Alliance base near Strasbourg but the members of Max's team – those who were able to attend this debriefing – still looked somewhat exhausted and shocked. Yes, they had slept, they had eaten and by all means they should have recovered from what had been a stressful and challenging mission but still the sort of mission they had been trained for.

But things were not as they had been before anymore. Blade, Jace and Jondy were still in the infirmary; they were stable and awake now but most of all Jondy would need much time to recover. The bullet had injured her spinal cord and it would take her at least two weeks before her stem cells would have repaired the damage and she would be able to walk again. Jace and Blade would need some time, too – perhaps a week, given or taken a day or two – before they were fit for active duty again.

Bear was dead. The huge but gentle X5 didn't stand a chance against that drone and he had given his life protecting the injured Blade; he had been dead before Nova even had a chance to help him. Max knew the Asian woman had a hard time accepting that.

And her brother had perished as well. The loss of Bear was hard enough but Wolf had been their CO, the one who had decided to leave Manticore and who had led them to Seattle and out of the States without casualties. He had been X5-451, a natural soldier and warrior and while Manticore had tried to make them all the same he had been rumored to be the deadliest of all X-series, the most efficient and lethal of them in combat and at the same time a caring and attentive commander. His death had hit his unit hard and while they all mourned over Bear with Wolf they had not only lost a fellow soldier and a sibling but also their leader, the one they would look to when decisions had to be made.

And he had been her twin brother. Max had not known him for very long but while she considered the others of her unit as siblings and as some kind of family he truly had been her brother and she felt like something within her had died with him.

And she was not the only one; not only the three team members who were still in the infirmary were not present but Kyla was absent as well. After Nova and Artemis had brought her to the infirmary she suddenly had quieted down like somebody had flipped a switch in her head. She had not said a word and had only responded to her teammates' questions with small nods and signs. After some time she had been released and had immediately gone to her quarters; that had been two days ago and in that time Artemis and Max had tried to talk to her but the shorthaired woman didn't answer. She was just lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling without moving a muscle. She didn't sleep, didn't eat. That vivid and sometimes almost feral spark in her eyes was gone and although Max had not spent much time with her she could feel unit two's 2IC was lost in her own world for now and she was sure she couldn't even try and begin to understand what was going on in the black-haired woman.

In one night they had lost two soldiers, three were injured so badly they would be out of active duty for at least a week and they had no CO anymore and no 2IC to replace him. Max sighed inwardly; this was the worst scenario she could have thought of. Unit two was definitely out of the game for the moment and she wasn't sure if they would be able to recover from that blow anytime soon.

"Thank you, Alec" Meyer's voice brought her back to reality. Alec nodded and sat down again; for the time being he had resumed command of the X5 unit but Max could clearly see he was just as shocked and exhausted as the others and wanted nothing more than to have some time for himself. Meyer looked at the transgenics before him for a few seconds before he continued. "I know this has been a hard night for all of you and I am sorry for your losses. We're still trying to find out where the hostile forces have come from and more important where they have vanished to after the engagement. It will take some time to analyze the whole battle so you will have enough time to recover. You won't go out there again before we know exactly how this could happen. Are there any questions?"

"Sir!" Max spoke up for the first time since she had entered the room. "What about Wolf's…body? Shouldn't we try and retrieve it?"

"The Alliance base has been destroyed before my men could get into it" Sarah answered. The French SRTU soldier had come to Fortress Delta as some sort of liaison-officer immediately after the battle but had been quiet until now. Max still did not really know what to think of her but Ares seemed to know and trust her and for the moment that was enough. "We think it has been some sort of self-destruction mechanism but we can't be sure. I'll inform you as soon as I have more information, I'm sorry."

"Why were you there anyway?" Alec suddenly wanted to know.

"My team was deployed to the outskirts of Strasbourg" she answered. Her English was very good but Max could still detect a slight French accent. "We were ordered to be prepared to support a Swiss SRTU operation."

"Then why were you so damned late?" the X5 growled, barely holding back his anger. Max could understand him; if the French transgenics had been there earlier they would probably have been able to retreat without leaving Wolf behind. Still she didn't think the black-haired woman was to be blamed but she was too tired to interrupt.

"We were not late" Sarah corrected the young man calmly. "We observed the whole battle but we had to wait for our attack order."

"Whose order?" Alec hissed. "Who ordered you to do this?"

"My commanding officer in Aubagne."

"And who had contacted him on this? Who informed you about our attack?"

"I did" Meyer firmly interrupted. "And now I suggest you calm down, soldier. Sarah isn't here to be questioned."

"You knew about this?" Alec asked disbelievingly but his surprise quickly changed into anger and he stood up. "You knew the whole time there was another transgenic unit who could've helped us and you did not call them? We lost men out there dammit!"

"I contacted the French forces as soon as I saw no other opportunity anymore, soldier" Meyer calmly replied but apparently that simple answer was too much for Alec. He stood up and approached the Swiss Colonel quickly, anger radiating from him like heat.

"Don't you call me soldier like I was your…" he began furiously but stopped dead in his tracks when Ares suddenly stepped in between his commanding officer and the seething X5 with a cold look in his eyes before neither Lydecker – who had been unusually quiet during the whole debriefing – nor Meyer were able to say a word.

"Stand down Alec" the Delta soldier said quietly but with so much coldness in his voice the Manticore transgenic suddenly looked a little bit less confident. "I know you're hurt and I know you lost friends out there but if you attack my superiors I will do whatever it takes to neutralize you."

That open threat was enough to make all the X5s look up and for a brief moment Max feared Alec would attack the Delta, taking out his anger and frustration on him, but the moment passed and it almost looked like her teammate relaxed a little bit. Ares seemed to notice that, too, as he sighed and calmly said to all of them:

"I know you're angry, I know you want to revenge your fallen siblings but we have lost soldiers, too. Three men died in Cougar three and we also lost two soldiers of platoon one. Those soldiers were _my_ siblings so I know how you're feeling and I want to avenge their deaths, too. But this doesn't justify your attacks against the Colonel and Sarah. I have served with her during the war and she only did her job like you all would've done." He paused and breathed deeply. "Now we must regroup and plan our next steps and this means we're gonna have to trust each other and not start making false accusations. Everybody understood?"

The X5s nodded silently and Alec swallowed.

"I'm sorry, Colonel, Sarah" he said quietly looking from the Swiss officer to the French soldier, "I didn't think."

"Acknowledged" the older man accepted the apology and the young woman nodded. Alec returned to his place and sat down again. Meyer observed the waiting X5s for a few seconds until he nodded. "I know this is difficult for you but that's what our lives are. We did what we could but with the current political situation things are not as easy as I would like them to be. If you want to have your revenge give us time do our job. We have to analyze the data you found there. For now I want you to return to your quarters. If you need anything contact Ares; I will inform Colonel Lydecker as soon as we have new information. Dismissed."

The transgenics stood up and Meyer left the room. Slowly the young soldiers followed him and made their way to their quarters, talking quietly.

"Max?" Alec suddenly said and signaled her to walk with him. She slowed down and looked at him quizzically.

"What?"

"I've been thinking a lot lately" he began carefully. He knew Max's temper especially when somebody tried doing what he was about to do. "What you did when Jondy got shot…it wasn't very clever, you know. As a matter of fact it was rather reckless and dangerous."

"So what?" Immediately she felt her anger growing. "Should I have left her there?"

"No, but you should have waited until we were able to provide you some cover" he countered, trying to sound as calm as possible. "Look, I know you just wanted to help her but you were so long out there and without cover it's a miracle you didn't get hit as well and then we would've had two injured soldiers instead of one."

"So this is it?" she asked sharply. "You are worried because I didn't follow your orders? I'm sorry if I was worried about Jondy and didn't just act like the good little soldier I'm supposed to be, _sir_!"

She regretted the words as soon as she had said them but it was too late to take them back. Alec breathed in sharply and pressed his lips together and in his eyes she could see he was hurt.

"No, this isn't _it_, Max!" he replied coldly and starred at her for a few moments before he turned and started to walk away.

"Wait!" she called after him. "Dammit, Alec, please wait!"

Almost to her surprise he stopped and looked at her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that" she apologized. "It's just…I didn't think back there, you know. We'd just lost Wolf and I..."

She trailed off, for a moment lost for words until she straightened up again.

"I've known Jondy ever since I can remember and seeing her lying there was just too much. I had to do something."

"I understand" he replied with sudden compassion, "and you can be sure I would've done whatever was possible to help her, too. I just want you to be more careful and a little bit more patient next time because you won't always be so lucky, okay? I don't want to lose you, too."

"I will, promise" she smiled slightly trying not to show how much his last words had surprised her. This was Alec after all; cocky, self-confident and sometimes bigheaded Alec. She wasn't used to him being so direct and open. But then she had to admit to herself that she liked this side of him better than his usual behavior. For a few seconds the two X5s looked at each other, none of them sure what to say next until they chuckled simultaneously at the weirdness of the situation.

"Well, what are you going to do now?" he wanted to know.

"I'm going to see Kara" she replied, glad the short moment of embarrassment had passed.

"Okay, see you later."

"Yeah, later."

They shared a brief look and then Alec turned away and made his way towards his quarters. Max briefly shook her head and tried to figure out what just had happened but she finally decided she would have enough time to think about it later. When she arrived at Kara's quarters she didn't even bother to knock but just entered. Hayden and O'Neill were playing poker at the small table and briefly nodded at her not at all surprised; the two of them were almost used to her visits by now.

"How is she?" Max wanted to know, looking at Hayden. The young Corporal had taken care of her younger self ever since they had left Manticore. Somehow the girl trusted the young man and whenever he found the time he trained her, taught her the things she was missing now that she wasn't at Manticore anymore. Eventually Meyer had even agreed to give him bigger quarters so Kara could stay with him.

"Asleep" the young man replied looking kind of uncomfortable. "Again."

"Well, I guess she needs it" Max sighed.

"I've never seen an X-soldier with shark DNA sleep so much" he objected. "Are you sure she's okay?"

"Usually we don't need much sleep" Max agreed. "Unless we're injured or under a lot of stress."

"I see" he sighed sadly. He had not been as close to Bear and Wolf as their siblings but still their deaths stung; he could only imagine how it was for the rest of the unit. "So you think she's gonna be okay?"

"Eventually" she replied absentmindedly.

"How about you?" O'Neill suddenly wanted to know, laying down his cards. The former Sergeant of Manticore black ops looked at her attentively and Max was almost a little bit surprised at the compassion she could see in his eyes. O'Neill was much older than Hayden, more experienced and harder. She knew he had seen war before with the Colonel and he had been one of the soldiers who had hunted her while she had been living in Seattle.

But she also knew it was nothing personal. He had been doing his job and had followed orders, had done what he had believed in. Underneath that hard shell was and attentive but understanding man and she felt he really was concerned.

"I will live. My arm's healing fine, it's just itching like hell." she simply replied but nodded at the older man thankfully. She couldn't really explain it but it felt good one of her former enemies seemed to care.

Without thinking about it too much she walked past the two men and entered Kara's room. The lights were out but she could see the small form of her little sister under the thin blanket. The girl didn't move but Max knew she was awake. Still she closed the door as quietly as she could and leaned against the wall. After Kara had asked her in the hangar where their brother was Max had felt more helpless than ever before in her life; how did you explain a little girl who was at the same time a trained soldier but had almost no experience of life what had happened out there? Her shocked silence had been more than enough to tell Kara what had happened. She didn't cry, not until they were back in Max's quarters and she truly began to understand that Wolf was gone. And even then it had been silent tears; not a single sob, not one tiny sound had escaped her lips but her hazel eyes which had watched Max with a terrible sadness and a desperate plea for explanations had been too much for the older transgenic and she had finally broken down herself.

In the end the two sisters and found comfort in each other's presence, feeling the other's pain and sorrow making them understand there were not alone.

"I'm awake, you know" Kara's voice interrupted the silence and the X7 sat up in her bed, looking at her older sister.

"I know" Max answered with a tiny smile. She approached her younger self and sat down on the edge of the bed. "How are you?"

"Better, I guess" Kara shrugged. It was a strange thing, to look at somebody who looked just like you, only ten years younger. Kara's dark hair was longer now, still kind of short for a girl but much longer than it had been back at Manticore – something which was usually only allowed after an X-soldier had completed his first mission – and it reminded Max of her days after the '09 escape. Suddenly Kara shot her a strange glance. "But you could use some rest. You look like shit, Max."

"Thank you very much" Max snorted. "Where do you learn such words anyway?"

"Let's just say O'Neill likes to swear when he thinks I can't hear it but of course I still do. Transgenic hearing, something to be feared" the X7 answered dryly and Max had to suppress a grin; yes, her younger self definitely started to develop the same sort of humor she had. Suddenly the girl became very serious again in the blink of an eye. "I was dreaming, you know. About him."

Max nodded but did not say anything. She knew who 'him' was. Wolf. X5-451. Known amongst all X-series and to her and Kara much closer than the others.

"Does it get any better?" her younger sister wanted to know. "The pain?"

It was an unusually mature question for a nine year old girl but then again Kara wasn't just any girl. Max thought about it for a few seconds until she nodded.

"Yes, it does. You'll never forget but you'll be able to not think about it too much after some time."

Kara thought about it for a few seconds and then nodded at her older sister thankfully. "What are you going to do now?"

"We will wait for the techs to figure out the data we brought home and then we will see" Max replied. "And I'm gonna make a call now. Are you gonna be okay?"

"Max, I'm not a little kid" the X7 objected but then hesitated. "Well…okay, technically I am but…ah, you get the point!"

This time Max couldn't help but grin. She knew Kara was bored to death and wanted to get out of Fortress Delta but despite her being an X7 her body was still too weak to take on one of the Alliance's augmented soldiers and so she had to stay behind.

"I get it, kiddo!"

"Don't call me that!" Kara growled and even with her young voice she sounded almost threatening.

"See you later" Max assured her. "Don't do anything stupid in the meantime."

"Right. As if I would get the chance to do that" the girl muttered under her breath and stood up. Ever since she had left her quarters to go to the hangar Hayden was watching her like a hawk. Perhaps she would at least get a chance to train a little bit to distract herself.

Max shook her head and left the room and after a few words with O'Neill and Hayden made her way towards one of the communication rooms. To her relief nobody else was there. It took some time for the connection to establish but finally the screen lit up and she could see Logan's face. He looked relieved.

"Max" he greeted her cheerfully but stopped when he saw her sad smile.

"Hey, Logan" she replied. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, but what about you?" he wanted to know with concern in his voice. "What happened?"

"A lot, Logan" she sighed. "How are the others, OC and Bling and everybody else?"

"They're fine, we all are. But you didn't just call me to ask that, right? Come on, tell me!"

She sighed and nodded; he just knew her too well. "We tried to steal some data from this Alliance and when we…"

She trailed off and looked away from the screen, trying to hold back her tears.

"Max." Even over all the distance she could hear the worry and sympathy in Logan's voice. "Easy. What happened?"

"It was a trap" she almost whispered and forced herself to look at him again. "Bear, a member of my unit, died. And…and Wolf is dead, too."

"I'm really sorry, Max" Logan sighed sadly. He had never really liked the black-haired transgenic but he had accepted him and he knew what he had meant for her. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I just wanted to talk to somebody" she answered. "The others are just as affected as I am. I don't know…perhaps this wasn't such a good idea."

"Hey, listen to me" he said with a little bit more insistence. "If you want to talk I'm here. That's what friends are for, remember?"

He really meant, what he said. At first it had been hard for him to accept Max's choice to remain with Manticore and her unit but eventually he had understood that she had finally found her place. But this didn't mean he wouldn't be there for her anymore. Max smiled slightly and gratefulness showed in her eyes. She straightened up and began to talk.

During the next ten minutes she told him everything she knew; from the beginning of the attack to the hover drones and their retreat. She felt how the pain in her chest seemed to fade a little bit; perhaps talking about it really helped. When she had finished Logan remained silent for a few seconds and she could see how he was already trying to analyze the information he had just received.

"Hover drones, you said?" he finally asked pensively. "I've never heard about the Europeans using them as well and from what you've told me that must have been some sort of highly developed piece of technology."

"What's your point?"

"I don't know yet, to be honest" he mused. "Do you have some pictures of them or wreckage?"

"I think so, but I'm not sure. Why?"

"The hover drones in the US are manufactured by one of my uncle's facilities" he explained, sounding slightly hesitant. "Perhaps I could find out where they came from."

"Do you think he has something to do with that?"

"I don't know, but I don't think so. Cale Industries has never delivered something like that to the military."

"As far as you know."

"As far as I know, yes" he admitted. "Look, Max, I can't say anything for sure. Can you send me the information?"

"Sure" she replied. "Might take a few hours, though."

"I'm not in a hurry. Eyes Only business has become a lot more boring since my personal cat burglar is out of town" he grinned in an attempt to lighten the mood. Max took the bait and smiled.

"Perhaps I can help you out the next time I'm on vacation" she offered.

"I'd like that." He then grew a little bit more serious again. "Listen, Max, I know you have chosen your path and I respect that. But I still want to be your friend. So if there's anything I can do, let me know, okay?"

"Yeah, I will" she assured him, feeling better now than she had in a long time. "Thank you, Logan."

"You're welcome."

* * *

At the same time Artemis was walking towards Lydecker's office. She knocked and entered once she'd heard his barked permission.

"Sir, X5-439 reporting, sir!" she announced and stood at attention. The older man looked a little surprised.

"At ease, Artemis, what is it?"

"Sir, I've just been at Kyla's quarter's and I think we" she hesitated briefly "have a problem."

"Yeah, I know." He sighed deeply. He knew Kyla had been almost catatonic ever since she'd been released to her quarters. She refused to come out, she hadn't eaten, hadn't slept and she hardly even acknowledged the presence of other people. He'd thought about talking to her a few times but after the insults she had thrown at him in the hangar he didn't think this would've been a good idea. She blamed him for Wolf's dead and he could understand that; after all it had been him and Meyer who had sent them out there. He knew her teammates – most of all Artemis – tried to take care of her but how did you take care of somebody who was absolutely indifferent to everything you did? He was worried about the young woman and the fact that he couldn't do anything drove him crazy. "Still no improvement?"

"Actually, there is, sir" the shorthaired sniper informed him. He looked up, happy about the good news; at least she was doing something now. Upon seeing the serious and slightly anxious expression on Artemis' face he frowned. "What are you not telling me?"

Artemis hesitated. She felt like she would betray Kyla if she told the Colonel but what she had seen in her friend's quarters had really frightened her and she didn't know what else she could do as Kyla had almost kicked her out of the room. She straightened up and began to talk.

* * *

Five minutes later Lydecker was approaching Kyla's quarters as fast as he could without running. Upon hearing what Artemis had to tell him he had left his office immediately and made his way down here. He was alone; he'd sent Artemis back to her quarters as he felt Kyla would not like more than one person in the room with her now. Okay, to be honest he didn't even know if she would not throw him out as soon as he had entered.

He knocked but when he got no answer after ten seconds he slowly opened the door and entered the room. The lights were dim but he could still see Kyla sitting at the table. She looked up and when she recognized him she automatically stood up and snapped at attention.

"Sir!"

"At ease, Kyla" he ordered gently and took his time to muster her. Even in the dim light he could see she was in bad shape; she was tired, her eyes were almost void of any emotion and he could see although she was an X5 she was exhausted after three days without sleep and food. He was looking at a devastated and desperate woman. There was a sheet of paper on the table and he briefly wondered what was written on it but he didn't think about that for too long because what worried him most was the sidearm that lay on the table as well. It was hers and he knew she kept it loaded all the time; so Artemis had been right. "Please, sit down."

She looked a little bit surprised for a brief moment but obeyed. He took a seat opposite her and watched her silently. She refused to meet his eyes and he could see her incertitude and shame.

"Sir" she began in a raspy voice. "I'd like to apologize for what I said when we came back. It was…"

"Stop it!" he interrupted her. "You were still partly drugged, shocked and in no condition to be in control of your emotions."

He was almost surprised himself by his words. Not a year ago every X5 who would have insulted him the way she had would have spent a month in PsyOps. But then again that Donald Lydecker was long gone.

"Still I had no right to do that" Kyla objected. "Sir, I called you a…"

"I know what you called me" he reminded her calmly, silencing her once more. "And you know my answer. Understood?"

"Yes, sir" she whispered but still did not look at him. For a few moments they sat together in silence until Lydecker was sure she wouldn't do anything out of her own.

"How did you know anyway?" he asked. He had stopped drinking before he had been assigned to Manticore so how had she found out? This got him a barely noticeable and melancholic smile.

"For those of us with shark DNA the nights at Manticore were terribly long and boring" she answered still very quietly. "We had to find something to keep ourselves busy."

"You sneaked out and hacked the files of the base's personnel?" he asked sounding almost incredulously.

"I'm not that good when it comes to computer as Jondy or Max but, well, we had a lot of time, sir."

"I see." He nodded. "And still after you found out about my…past problems you never lacked the proper respect towards me. I'm impressed."

"As I said, sir" she suddenly sounded ashamed and anxious again, "I'm sorry. I had no right…"

"I told you to forget about it. Stop apologizing already, Kyla, that's an order!"

"Yes, sir."

"Artemis came to me a few minutes ago" he continued after some seconds of silence. "She is worried about you. The whole team is."

"How could they be?" Kyla laughed bitterly. "I failed them. I was too much of a liability so Wolf had to drug me. I let them down; how could they be worried about me?"

"That's not true and you know it!"

"Do I?" she briefly looked up but only for a second. "I loved him, Colonel, I really loved him and because I couldn't find a way out of that mess we were in back there he died. I forced him to knock me out and after that the others had no other choice than to leave him behind."

Her eyes slowly travelled across the table until they found her sidearm and she whispered barely audible: "It's my fault he's dead."

Lydecker followed her gaze and frowned when he saw what she was looking at. His first instinct was to reach out and take the gun but he controlled himself. He had to show her he still trusted her so taking her weapon away from her would not be a good idea.

"I talked to the others and they all said there was no other option" the older man finally said. He was not good at this, dammit. Usually his job was to hurt people or to teach his kids how you did it properly. Never before he had been dealing with this sort of problem and he could only hope he would find the right words. "One of you had to stay behind or you would've been neutralized in that tunnel. Wolf made a choice as the CO of his team. You were his 2IC, you were the only one who could have overruled him and I believe he knew you would have done exactly that. He drugged you because he didn't want that to happen, because he wanted you to live. Kyla, he wanted you to live, so this is certainly not a good idea."

He waited until she looked at him and then nodded at the gun and shook his head. "If you do this his sacrifice would have been in vain, so don't even think about it!"

She starred at him for a long time but finally she nodded. "He knew it, you know."

"He knew what?" Now he was seriously confused. She snorted bitterly and shot a glance at the sheet on the table.

"Read it. I found it today in my locker. He must have put it there before we went to Strasbourg."

He frowned but said nothing and began to read.

_My dear Kyla_

_While writing this I still hope you're never gonna read it. Because if you ever do it means I'm most probably dead. You told me once you were afraid that something terrible would happen and that you felt like you could do nothing against it. I didn't really understand it back then but now I think I do._

_I have a bad feeling about this Alliance and I fear they might be much more dangerous than any of us can imagine at the moment. I hope I'm wrong and everything's gonna be alright but you and I know how fast things happen in the field._

_But whatever is gonna happen, I want you to know that I love you. You showed me that I can be more than just a soldier; with you I enjoyed the most precious moments of my life._

_If you read this I also want you to know that whatever has happened is none of your fault. You once prayed to the gods to take your life if necessary but I will do whatever I can to make sure you're gonna live. If you read this now I was successful and you survived. That is all I ask for._

_I'll never forget you. Please forgive me._

_In eternal love_

_Wolf_

"He knew it!" Kyla said when Lydecker had finished. She laughed almost hysterically. "He felt something was gonna happen and I did not notice it!"

"You couldn't" the older man answered gravely. Wolf had really dreaded something bad would happen and yet he had led his team into battle without hesitation. To say Donald Lydecker was distraught would have been the understatement of the century. What had they done to these children? Eventually he calmed down and looked at the young woman before him. "You couldn't. You knew Wolf; he didn't want you to notice anything."

"So?" she asked bitterly. "What difference does that make? He's still gone."

"Yes" he agreed. "Yes, he is. But you survived. He wanted you to live and so you did."

"Still; what difference does it make? What are you expecting from me now?"

"I expect absolutely nothing from you, Kyla." At this she looked at him surprised. "I want you to ask yourself what you expect from yourself."

He sighed and paused briefly.

"If you hacked my file you know I lost my wife, don't you?" He was more and more surprised by himself. He had hardly ever talked about that during his whole life and certainly never with a transgenic. Kyla looked at him and nodded. "I loved her, too, and I did some stupid things after her death and it took me a lot of time to recover. I don't want you to do the same mistakes. But that is up to you, I can't force you."

He stood up.

"Wolf did what he thought was right, now it is up to you to decide what is right. I can only say that your team – your siblings – are worried about you and that they need you. And I am terribly sorry for your loss, Kyla. Take the time you need, you deserve it. But when you're ready, come back."

"Aren't you going to take my gun?" she asked cynically but he could hear it was only an attempt to hide her sadness.

"You're an X5, Kyla, one of the best. If you want to do something – in my eyes – stupid, I won't be able to hold you back. But I really hope you won't."

He turned towards the door and had just opened it when her voice held him back.

"How do you do it?"

He stopped and turned back towards her. She was standing again. "Do what?"

"How do you keep going? After you lost the person you loved?"

"I try to remember the good things, the moments we spent together, the joy she brought to my life" he replied with an almost melancholic smile.

"I feel like somebody ripped my heart out of my chest, Colonel!" her voice was desperate now. "How am I supposed to forget what has happened?"

"You're not supposed to forget. The pain is a part of life, too. We have to accept that."

"I don't know if I can do that!" she admitted hoarsely and barely audible again. Suddenly she started to tremble and finally tears started streaming down her face. She hadn't cried ever since they had returned to Fortress Delta, not even after she had been released from the infirmary and had finally been alone in her quarters. She hadn't cried; she had buried all her sorrow and desperation deep down within herself and she had willed herself not to cry, forced her pain to remain hidden as good as she could. But now she couldn't hold it back anymore.

Seeing this young woman – X5-301, one of the strongest and hardest transgenics in existence – finally break down like that broke something within Lydecker as well. Out of instinct he approached her and embraced her tightly, holding her close, trying to offer as much comfort as he could. She didn't just let it happen but she clung to him for dear life. For once she wasn't an enhanced super-soldier but just a young woman who had lost what she had held most dear in her life and who needed somebody to hold her. She sobbed against his chest and her whole body trembled uncontrollable as she finally let go of all that pain and desperation.

"I just miss him so much!" she moaned between sobs.

And for once Donald Lydecker was not her commanding officer; he was the man who had been there when she'd been born, who had watched her grow up and trained her.

"I know" he whispered again and again. "I'm sorry, Kyla, I'm sorry."

They stood like that for several minutes until she finally calmed down a little bit. She took a step back and looked at him warily, realizing what had happened.

"I'm sorry, Colonel, I shouldn't have…"

"It's alright, Kyla" he assured her quietly. He didn't fully understand what just had happened but he felt it was nothing wrong. "I understand."

She looked at him, not sure what to think of his current behavior. She was thankful that he didn't yell at her for being so emotional but she also knew the Colonel Lydecker back at Manticore would've done so. But then they were not at Manticore anymore.

"Take your time, Kyla" he said quietly before the silence between them became too awkward. "It is difficult, I know it is. And when you're ready, come back. I know you will, because I know you. And if you need anything, don't hesitate to call me, alright."

"Yes, sir!" she answered briefly. "Thank you!"

He nodded at her one last time and finally left the room, exhaling once he was out of there and had the door closed behind himself. He was confused, not only because of Kyla's behavior but most of all because of his own. What was he doing? She was a soldier, he was her superior officer! He shouldn't show emotions and compassion like this! But then again he had passed the point of no return long ago. He knew the soldiers of unit two meant more to him than the other X5s. Even before their escape from Manticore he had been closer to them than to the others and after all those months on the run together with them he had changed even more.

He knew the people at Manticore had always looked at him surprised when he had been talking of 'his kids' but none of them had said anything; because there had been nothing to be said. They had been his soldiers, he had been their commander. But not anymore.

He cared for unit two, for all of them and he slowly began to understand what that really meant.

And he was worried about Kyla. She seemed so fragile at the moment and he didn't know what else he could do to help her. Probably there was nothing left for him than to hope that she would find her way out of this. And that drove him almost crazy.

"Be strong, Kyla" he whispered to himself out of instinct. "Be strong, child."

He suddenly shook his head; what was going on with him? He turned around and started walking towards his own quarters again. He was too confused and absentminded to notice the figure standing in the shadows near Kyla's quarters. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, it had just happened.

Max watched the old officer leave. After he had opened the door she had heard Kyla weep and had already thought about going in when the crying had stopped. The words Lydecker had said once he had been outside Kyla's quarters had caught her off-guard and she was still very confused. She didn't really know what to think of it but now she knew for sure the Colonel Lydecker she once had called her personal antichrist did not exist anymore.

* * *

Like I said, there will be more about Kyla's and Lydecker's behavior, so don't go all crazy on me right now, okay?

Well, and for the rest: Let me know what you think!

Yes, I know you have to give me a review to do that *gg* (I know, I know: Very subtle)


	10. Rebirth in Hell

Okay, I know the last chapter was not too happy and unfortunately this one is still kind of dark but I'm getting there, don't worry. You're gonna see unit two in action again soon.

And yes, you're finally gonna find out one important thing in this chapter as well.

**452max:** Here you go, another update. Thank you very much for the review. You're gonna see about Kyla in this chapter and also a little bit about Max. Max will get more 'screen time' during the next chapters, though. Promise! Thanks again!

* * *

"Fortress Delta is currently on a full lockdown" Ares informed them. They were – once again – in that famous briefing room and Max slowly but surely started to hate it because it seemed whenever they had been in there since the Strasbourg mission they received bad news. "Before you ask: This is because shortly after we attacked the Alliance base in Italy together with Wolf and Kyla somebody tried to shoot down one of our Cougars with a Stinger. We think it was the Alliance; some sort of reminder that they could hit us back if they wanted to. Nobody died but it was close call and we don't want to relive something like that again."

"You think the Alliance want revenge?" Alec asked a little bit skeptical. Pride didn't really fit in the image he had of their enemy.

"Not revenge" the Delta soldier corrected him. "But perhaps they'll try to put enough pressure on us to make us stop our operations against them. Maybe they hope if they show us they can hit us, too, we will stop pursuing them."

Lydecker nodded approvingly. It was a well-known and common tactic but although revenge was not the primary motivation it sometimes still felt good to know you could hit your enemy back. He almost expected the Alliance to make a move during the next weeks.

"What about Wolf's body?" Max wanted to know, ignoring the uncomfortable looks some of her teammates shot her.

"The French SRTU reports that the site near Strasbourg is completely destroyed. Whatever they used it was strong enough to blow up the whole complex and leave nothing but a big crater. There's nothing left, I'm sorry." Ares briefly nodded at Lydecker and then went to his chair and sat down. It was awfully quiet in the debriefing room and he could understand the X5s hesitation and sorrow all too well; his report had just destroyed the last hope the still had to retrieve their fallen brother's body. Wolf's corpse was definitely lost.

"Thank you, Ares" Lydecker said gravely. "Max, what's the status on the information core?"

The X5 in question stood up.

"We analyzed the data we've got from the base in Strasbourg" Max began her report and briefly hesitated. Ares and her unit – with the exception of Jondy and Jace who were still in the infirmary and Kyla – watched her attentively; they would not like what she was about to tell them. She shared a brief look with Lydecker who already knew what she was going to say and he gave her a small nod. "There were the locations of their bases but we already had that information. Furthermore we found a lot of old mission reports. So far that's what we know: The Alliance was founded during the first years of this century. At the beginning there were only a few members. Their operations were always about information research as they were too few and not strong enough to actually take action in a military way. During the years they grew stronger in numbers and gained more influence but it looks like they're still a rather small group; they're not a military organization so achieving their goals by force is the exception, usually the try to remain hidden. The soldiers who attacked us in Montpellier and Strasbourg were the majority of their armed forces; they don't have much more personnel. For the attack in Strasbourg they must have concentrated almost all of their troops."

"What are their intentions?" Alec wanted to know.

"It is indicated that in the beginning the first members of the Alliance had one common goal: Destroying the transgenic forces that were created at Manticore. However it looks that became a secondary objective after some time."

"Destroying us?" Blade asked surprised. She had recovered from her injuries quite well but sometimes her legs still hurt and she needed help to walk. "And why would they change their priorities?"

"We don't know" Max admitted. "As a matter of fact we hardly got anything useful out of that data core. There are tons of junk data files which are of no use at all. The information we got is old and not really useful either. We only know now that they are after transgenics but we don't know why and we still don't know who their members are."

"In short: We got nothing" Havoc said bitterly and Max could do nothing but nod sadly. It had been a trap with the information core as decoy. And they had fallen for it. Because some of the files – the ones she and Jondy had stumbled upon first when they had hacked their enemies' computers – were original ones they had remained long enough in that bunker to make a complete download and because of that they gave their attackers enough time to make their move.

"Do you want to tell us" Artemis began slowly understanding what Max was saying "that all of this – the whole Strasbourg operation – was for nothing?"

"Apparently."

"That can't be true!" Alec exclaimed. "Wolf and Bear died for that data!"

"I know that, Alec" Max said with dark venom in her voice. She did her best hide her feelings and to convince herself it had not been her and Jondy's fault. The data had been very carefully prepared, the trap thoroughly masked but somehow she still felt guilty. "You don't have to remind me."

Alec shook his head and sat back with a bitter snort. For about a minute nobody said a word as they all tried to wrap their minds around the fact that their siblings and friends – X5s and Deltas alike – had died for nothing but a heap of useless data. Finally Nova cleared her throat.

"What are we going to do now?" the blond medic wanted to know.

"Recon" Lydecker replied and stood up. "We have to know where they have relocated."

"Wait a second" Brin interrupted. "Relocated?"

"Intel from the Delta recon teams indicates that they have abandoned all their bases" the old officer informed her with regret. "The data about their bases' locations is worthless. We lost them."

That was too much for the assembled transgenics; several of them swore in frustration, Brin stood up and kicked her chair across the room and even in the faces of the usually so calm Havoc and Artemis Lydecker could see emotional turmoil. He had expected something like that and allowed his soldiers to vent some of their anger for a few seconds before he decided it was enough. But before he could say a word somebody he did not expect at all beat him to it.

"Will you stop it!" came a loud and aggressive order from the door. She had been waiting just outside the door until now. "From what I heard you were not given permission to bitch so shut the hell up and sit down!"

They all turned around and stared at the newcomer in surprise. Kyla just gave them an icy glare.

"I said: Sit down!" she repeated her order grimly. "Now!"

Her siblings slowly obeyed, watching her carefully. The last time they had seen their 2IC she had been a broken woman, screaming and kicking. The young transgenic they were looking at now was – in an almost dangerous way – controlled and determined. Max could sense her friend's suppressed anger and hatred and when she looked in the eyes of the older transgenic she could see that old Kyla again, X5-301 who had captured her all that time ago in Seattle but she also saw something else, something she didn't recognize. And she didn't like it at all. Suddenly she felt cold.

Once Kyla was sure her unit would stay calm for the moment she made her way towards Lydecker who was watching her with a mixture of surprise, expectance and relief. She shared a brief look with Ares who was the only other transgenic in the room still standing and they barely noticeable nodded at each other.

"Sir!" she saluted the Colonel. The look in her green eyes was fierce and her voice was cold. "X5-301 reporting for duty, sir!"

"At ease, soldier. I'm glad you're back!"

"Me too, sir. Do you have orders for the recon already, sir?"

"Negative. Command should come up with a plan within forty-eight hours, though." The older man eyed the young woman. There was nothing left of the devastated young girl he had met two days ago. Kyla was looking as strong and concentrated as always, perhaps a little bit angrier and…darker. But not weak and guilty anymore. He could see she wanted revenge but he could also feel his soldier was back and that was a good thing; she had found a purpose again and he was glad for that because although he knew she still had a long way to go he was sure now she would find it on her own. "I was about to end the briefing."

"With your permission, sir, I'd like to talk to my unit in private."

"Permission granted." He had an idea what she was about to tell them and he silently agreed with her that it had to be done. "I will contact you as soon as I have new orders for you. You have the room!"

"Sir!" She saluted again and the rest of the transgenics stood up as Lydecker left. When Ares wanted to follow him she silently signaled him to stay which the Delta did but not without a surprised and asking glance towards her; he was not a member of her unit, after all. As soon as the Colonel was gone Kyla turned around to face her siblings and whoever might have thought she would relax after Lydecker had left realized they had been wrong. She still looked tense and determined and that slightly dark and threatening aura around her wasn't gone. Max had a bad feeling about this; sure, Kyla had always been a calm and sometimes even restrained woman and she was a soldier first but she had also seen the caring and warm side of the young woman and she knew Kyla was only cold and dead-hearted when she had to in order to survive. But it seemed like that Kyla was gone, at least for the time being.

"I wanted to talk to you" the black-haired transgenic began in a quiet but still harsh voice, looking from one to another, "because I want to apologize. I made a mistake in Strasbourg; I failed and let you down. We all know the consequences of that mistake. Be silent, Blade!"

The Asian X5 had wanted to say something, protest against her 2IC's words. They all wanted to but they remained silent when they heard Kyla's calm but resolute order.

"That will not happen again" Kyla continued. "We forgot how to act as soldiers and it killed two of us and five of the Deltas. In here we can be friends, we can be family. But out there we must become the soldiers again we once were. I've learned this lesson the hard way; I think you all have, too. Wolf is gone and as his 2IC I resume command of this unit. If anybody has a problem with that, speak your mind!"

It wasn't a threat, they all understood that. Kyla gave them the opportunity to voice their doubts or skepticism. They remained silent for a few seconds, a little bit stunned and surprised by her straightforwardness; they had all thought she would need much more time to recover – if she would recover at all – and now she was here, the image of the perfect soldier again.

"Nobody?" she asked after a minute of silence looking at all of them and then at the only SRTU soldier in the room. "Ares?"

He just shook his head.

"Kyla" Artemis suddenly said. She'd had the most contact with her older sister since they'd come back from Strasbourg and to say she was surprised by the sudden change in her behavior would have been the understatement of the century; she had seen how hard Wolf's death had hit her and how devastated she had been. But she also knew Kyla was a survivor and a fighter; it was very well possible she had overcome her pain and grief. "I don't question you as our new commander – I don't think anybody in this room does – but all of us would understand if you need more time. But if you're sure you're ready to lead I will follow!"

The others murmured their approval and for a brief moment Kyla felt almost happy again that her siblings still trusted her, most of all Alec who had been in command until now and Max who hopefully really didn't blame her for Wolf's death. But she remained stoic and only allowed herself a small smile.

"Thank you, that means a lot to me." She looked around again. "Okay, enough talk; let's get to work. Nova, I need a detailed report about Jondy, Jace and Blade. I want to know when they'll be ready for active duty again. Don't look at me like that, Blade, you know very well you're not ready yet. Havoc and Artemis, contact the Sergeant-Major of the armory. Prepare full equipment for night and day observation for at least six days, same goes for weapons, ammunition and supplies. Alec, you're the new 2IC. Try to get as much information as you can out of the command staff already. I don't care how you do it – if necessary bribe them – and coordinate our preparations with Ares and the Deltas; if we're going out there again I want to be ready. The rest of you: Prepare your personal equipment and help the others if necessary. I'll be with Alec and we'll try to find out where they're gonna send us. Any questions?"

Nobody said a word; they were just too overwhelmed and surprised from her sudden appearance and energy and for the moment they all just nodded although Kyla could clearly see some of them – most of all Artemis and Max – were watching her with attentive eyes, possibly looking for a sign of weakness or incertitude. She couldn't blame them. Until her talk with the Colonel she had really been in a sorry state but afterwards it had gotten better; he had made her understand that she needed to move on and she knew for certain Wolf would have wanted her to get back on her feet and resume her duties as her team's new leader.

And that was exactly what she was going to do: She would lead her siblings in this war, against the Alliance and their allies, against Renfro and the committee. She knew she had to become 301 again, the cold and calculating X5 she had been before this mess and she didn't have a problem with that; Wolf was gone and so was her desire to be anything else than a soldier and a leader to her siblings.

"Very well. Move it!"

One after the other the transgenics left but while her siblings made their way towards their quarters or the armory Kyla went to Lydecker's office; there was one last thing that had to be done. When she approached the door she could hear several voices discussing and arguing.

"With all due respect, Colonel, I'm sick of this!" That was Hayden she thought and frowned. The young corpsman was usually not one to talk like that to Lydecker. "We're sending those kids out there time after time while we sit here and do nothing. That's not what I signed up for!"

Kyla stopped abruptly right in front of the door. Now that seemed to be an interesting conversation. She could sense at least three people in that room so if her guess was correct there were Lydecker, Hayden and…

"I have to agree, Colonel" another male voice said. Yes, correct guess; that was Major Coleman. "I know we can't keep up with them in an actual combat situation but this doesn't mean we have to stay in this Fortress all the time."

There was silence for a few seconds and apparently Lydecker was considering their opinions until he said something for the first time.

"What do you think, Sergeant?"

"I didn't sign up to hide and let others do my job." That was the calm and deliberate voice of Sergeant O'Neill. Well, she had not sensed him but he had always been kind of a sneaky guy. "I must admit that I'm quite fed up with hiding in this Fortress, Colonel. Not that I don't appreciate the SRTU's hospitality but if we have to stay here for the time being we can at least go out with the X5s. We're soldiers and although the transgenics may be the better ones in my opinion we should still go out there with them and do our job, sir."

Kyla could hear Lydecker sigh and she had to admit she was a little bit surprised herself; sure, Coleman had been her TAC leader since her childhood and Hayden and O'Neill were fine soldiers but hearing they actually asked Lydecker to be sent out into the field again was not what she had expected. Still it made her feel a little bit better in a very odd way she could not describe. She shook her head and finally knocked; there would be time to ponder about that later.

"Enter!" she heard Lydecker's sharp order and opened the door. The four men in the room looked up at her entrance but didn't seem too surprised.

"I'll think about it, gentlemen" Lydecker said to the three former Manticore black ops soldiers. "As soon as I have news you'll be the first ones to know!"

The three soldiers nodded and saluted before they left.

"What can I do for you, Kyla?" the old officer wanted to know and examined her attentively. Yes, she really had become a soldier again, anybody could've seen that. Her posture was proud and disciplined and her eyes were full of determination.

"Permission to speak off the record, sir?" she asked and after a second of hesitation he nodded quietly.

"Sir, I'd like to thank you what you did for me" Kyla began slowly, carefully choosing every word. She was still kind of unsure about that incident in her quarters and she could only hope he wouldn't consider her to be weak because he had seen her breakdown. "I've lost my focus. I also hope what you saw will not make you think less of me. I'm a soldier, I've always been. I just needed somebody to remind me of that."

Hearing this Lydecker suddenly chuckled softly, making the young X5 look at him in surprise.

"Kyla, I will surely not think less of you just because you felt grief over the loss of Wolf" he said understandingly. "It's natural, I can understand and I believe that the bonds you all share make your unit so unique and strong. Don't worry, I know you're still able to do your job."

"Thank you, sir!" She felt relieved her mentor did still trust her.

"You're welcome." He suddenly felt kind of uncomfortable seeing her grateful smile; he really was not used to this kind of situation. He shook his head with a small smile and nodded at her affirmatively before he chose to change the subject. "By the way, it's good you came here. I got some coordinates from Meyer we should check out. The first one is…"

* * *

_Seattle_

"Are you sure you want to do this alone?" Bling sounded concerned. He had worked with Logan long enough now to know this was not just a simple visit and it was quite possible Renfro's agents were somewhere around.

"I can do this" the cyber-journalist assured his friend and protector. "Don't worry, I don't think this will last long."

Logan got out of the car and took in his environment; it was quite warm and for once the sun was shining and the huge mansion looked peaceful and comfortable. Still he felt quite uneasy; being here was not that enjoyable for him as he usually tried to avoid most of his family. Nevertheless he wanted answers and after the initial feeling of discomfort had worn off he straightened up and marched towards the front gate and was not surprised when it opened as if controlled by an invisible hand.

'_More like Jonas' hand'_ he thought with sarcasm. His uncle had sounded very surprised and also a little bit suspicious when they had talked earlier on the phone but nevertheless had invited him for a talk. Of course Logan had not yet told him what that visit would be about. He made his way to the front door of the mansion and just when he was about to knock the door opened revealing Jonas Cale with his always professional smile.

"Logan" his uncle greeted him. "Please, come in!"

"Thanks, Jonas."

They made their way to the rather impressive living room and Logan couldn't help but wonder how quiet the large house seemed to be; apparently they were alone.

"So" Jonas began. "How are you?"

"I can't complain, thanks."

"You're kind of difficult to reach lately. Are you hiding or something?"

"No, just got a little bit bored. I needed some change."

"I see" the older man chuckled quietly. "And I think you still won't tell me about that miraculous healing of yours, right?"

"Sorry, Jonas, I'd like to keep that a secret for the moment" Logan replied with a slight smile. He knew his uncle was more than just curious about how he had been able to recover from his injuries but he would not tell him about the exoskeleton; that would only complicate matters. And besides that the military already knew about that kind of technology; it had been them who had developed the prototype he was currently using, after all.

They talked for a while, mostly about their daily lives and life in general until Jonas seemingly wanted to get to the point.

"So, what brings you here? You don't pay me visits very often." Jonas wanted to know and got himself a glass of whiskey. "A drink?"

"No, thank you" Logan shook his head. "As a matter of fact I would like to ask you how the business is going."

"Business?" This time the older man really seemed to be surprised; usually Logan kept out of everything that involved Cale Industries. "Well, I can't complain either, everything's just running fine. Why do you ask? Let's have a seat."

The two men sat down in the large and comfortable armchairs in the middle of the room.

"And the hover drones? Are you still able to keep up the sales figures? By now all the police forces should have been equipped with them, no?"

Of course Logan knew already that the number of sold hover drones was not just stable but had been drastically increased during the last months. The only thing he didn't know for sure yet was why.

"You're right, the police does not require our services as frequently as they used to, but we have found other clients."

"Like who?"

"You're awfully inquiring today, junior" Jonas observed. "Usually you don't really care about business. What happened?"

"You do build custom models for outside buyers, right?"

"Well, yes. Why?"

Okay, so beating around the bush would not get him what he needed Logan decided with a silent sigh. This was gonna be ugly. "A friend of mine has seen hover drones attacking people in Europe."

"What?" Jonas exclaimed. All kindness and relaxation was gone. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how the sales figures of the hover drones went sky-high not too long ago although most of your former clients don't need any more of them. I'm talking about reports from Europe indicating hover drones taking action in combat operations." Logan's voice grew louder. "Armed hover drones, Jonas!"

"What are you trying to tell me?" Suddenly Jonas' voice was a lot colder.

"I want to know what you did" Logan replied trying to sound more composed. "Who's that new buyer of yours? Is it the military? Because if it is I want you to stop it! The entire company is built on the idea that hover drones protect people; the military was never to be a customer!"

"How did you hear about this?"

"I have my contacts. Jonas, you have to stop this!"

"How dare you?" The older man looked at his nephew with a mixture of anger and disdain. "All that time you've done nothing but always claimed your share of the fourth-quarter earnings from the Cale trust and now you want to order me around how I have to run the business?"

"You have no idea what you got yourself into!" Logan warned him.

"I have no idea?" Jonas gave him a derisive smile. "Let me tell you what I know, junior. Right after the Pulse Cale Industries made abnormally high profit because everybody wanted what we offered. After some years however the market was saturated and during the last two years we were only able to sell our goods at sacrifice. A few more years like that and we would've been insolvent."

The older man stood up and took another sip of his whiskey.

"Now I know you never really had to work for a living but I did. And I did what it took to save this company, the company that allows you the luxury to live your life however you want to, by the way."

"Who is the new customer, Jonas?" Logan asked again, ignoring his uncle's barely hidden criticism.

"Some government organization" Jonas finally answered with a small growl.

"What organization?"

"The kind of organization that does not give you their calling card. They paid."

"And that was all you needed, right?" Logan was barely able to hide his disrespect.

"As long as you live from the money that comes from Cale Industries I suggest you don't play do-gooder, Logan. Welcome to the real world" Jonas said awfully calm again. "We did what had to be done to save the company, that's all you need to know."

"Yes, you did" Logan agreed. "I just hope the price won't be too high. Have a nice day, Jonas!"

"I'm sure you'll find your way out yourself."

Logan left as fast as he could without running. Outside Bling was still waiting, always the loyal friend and protector. Logan got in the car with a stony expression on his face.

"Go!" was the only thing he said and Bling was wise enough to get the hint and did not ask questions.

For a few minutes they were both silent until Logan finally spoke up.

"They did it. The hover drones Max talked about were from Cale Industries."

"Are you sure about that?" Bling asked carefully. "Couldn't it be from some other company?"

"Cale Industries are the only ones with the technology and the experience to manufacture that kind of drone" Logan explained. "Nobody else would be able to do that in such a short amount of time or I would have heard of it."

Before he had decided to pay his uncle a visit he had used every source about military technology he could find and everything had lead him to Cale Industries. He had already been convinced his family's company had something to do with the drones that attacked Max but to find out that his own uncle had sold the technology willingly was not what he had expected. He had to contact Max.

"And besides that Jonas said there has been a government organization who bought the technology."

"Manticore" Bling presumed grimly.

"Yeah" Logan agreed and looked out of the window. The sun was gone and it looked like rain again. "Manticore."

* * *

When he woke up the first thing he felt was pain. He couldn't exactly say which part of his body hurt, it was more like he was generally in pain. He tried to open his eyes but the bright white light stung too much and he closed them again, feeling his tears well up. He lay still and slowly got aware of his environment with his other senses; a distant smell of blood and antiseptic, the soft feeling of light fabric on his skin and something much harder around his wrists and ankles.

Where was he? He tried to remember what had happened.

He remembered a dim and cold room, people talking. Somehow he knew they were important to him and that he cared about them.

Other images and memories started flashing through his head. Weapons, a feeling of sorrow and loss but also anger and rage.

_"Bring it on!"_

He remembered other people charging into that cold room, gunfire, explosions, screams, pain and then blackness.

"…_bastard is still alive…finish him…no, we bring him back…we're losing him…keep him alive…all cost…"_

The voices and words he slowly began to remember made no sense at all; most of them were full of hatred and disgust but some seemed worried and almost caring. He suddenly felt dizzy and moaned quietly when another wave of pain hit him. After it had passed he lay still for a few more minutes until he tried to open his eyes again.

The light was still painful but not as bad as the first time and after some seconds he started to see more clearly. He was lying in a hospital bed in a white room. There were no windows, only a door and a small table. He tried to get up but found out he couldn't. It wasn't just because of the pain even the smallest movements caused but also because the hard things around his ankles and wrists held him back.

'Restraints' he suddenly realized somewhat surprised. Before he could ponder about this new realization the door opened and a blond woman entered. She smiled but there was no kindness in her eyes

"I see you're finally awake, 451" she said calmly and slowly approached him after she'd closed the door again. "Don't worry about the confusion; it will wear off after some time."

He didn't answer, just starred at her in shock. Confusion? Yeah, right! The second he'd seen her there hadn't been any confusion anymore at all. The memories had come back as soon as he had recognized her face. He looked around, trying to find a possibility to escape, something to open his restraints but of course there was nothing. He knew where he was now; Manticore headquarters, Gilette, Wyoming. It was the same room Kyla had been in all those months ago.

The blond woman recognized the changes in his behavior and she looked at him attentively and also amused.

"Ah, you remember now, don't you?" she asked with an evil gleam in her eyes. "Yes, yes I can see you remember. Very well, that makes things much easier!"

He didn't answer, just starred at her with intense hatred. Yes, he remembered, he remembered everything. Renfro! He wanted nothing more than to grab her and choke her to death but he didn't move. He knew the restraints would hold him down and from the constant pain he felt he could tell any sudden movement would only worsen his condition.

"You caused a lot of problems, 451" Renfro continued when he didn't say anything. She picked up a file from the table and started to read. "First your escape and now this. After they brought you back from France Cottle gave you almost no chance of survival; one bullet in your left thigh, one in your right shoulder and two in your chest. And I'm not even talking about the severe concussion you suffered or all the shrapnel they had to pull out of you. It's quite impressive you're still alive."

"So sorry to disappoint you" he snarled, finally breaking his stubborn silence. His voice was hoarse but speaking didn't hurt as badly as he had dreaded.

"Oh, but you didn't disappoint me at all, 451" Renfro replied with false kindness. "As a matter of fact when I heard you survived the attacks of our troops and got captured when they had stormed that bunker I was rather pleased."

"Really" he snorted. He shouldn't talk to her; all his military training told him to shut up but somehow he couldn't. Perhaps he had really spent too much time with Max. "Now why would that be? Because of me my unit escaped and as I know them they're already after you again!"

"You think so? Then maybe you don't know them as well as you think." The smile on Renfro's face would have been best described as predatory. "What survived of your old unit is possibly still unable to get over the fact that they had to leave you behind. And as soon as I'm finished with you you will help me to get rid of the last of them."

"Never gonna happen!" he growled.

"Oh, yes, that is gonna happen" she promised with an evil grin before she turned around and walked towards the door. "You will help me destroy what is left of your unit and deliver the two rogue 452s to me."

"Max and Kara?" The names were out of his mouth before he could think about it. "Why are they so important?"

Renfro stopped dead in her tracks and turned around again. Every false kindness was gone; she looked at him, her face an expression of cold hatred and disgust.

"They are not important! Don't you ever again dare to say that!" she snapped approaching him again until she stood at the side of his bed. "They have something that is important, something much too important to leave it to one of your kind. But they are not important themselves! They are meat, animals which should never have been created, just like you! How could any of you abominations ever be anything else?"

At the end she was almost screaming and suddenly she spit him in the face. He flinched in disgust and despite better knowledge tried to get up and attack her but the restraints held and he hissed in pain.

Slowly Renfro regained her composure and she looked down on him with the cold hatred and disdain he already knew.

"PsyOps will need months until they can be sure they broke me" the young transgenic growled angrily but not without a hint of self-content. "And during all those months my unit will be after you. That's more than enough time for them to change their plans and positions and to hunt you down, _director!_"

"Oh, we won't need months to break you, 451." By now she was the calculating and calm Director Renfro again and her voice held a dangerous promise. "Actually 'weeks' would be a better guess. PsyOps has had much time to do research and we've come up with a new procedure. You will actually be the first one to test it so we can't really be sure if there are gonna be some 'complications' but don't worry, we'll try to keep you alive. We will start in a few hours before you start to force yourself to forget things. Don't worry about your physical injuries, the procedure is not invasive. If the simulations have been correct you will do whatever I tell you to do in about four weeks."

"Never" he snarled with a feral grin, showing his canines. "I will never help you!"

Renfro leaned forward and fixed him with a grim stare.

"Yes" she promised quietly and with an evil joy in her eyes that made the young X5 shudder invisibly. "Yes you will, 451!"

She briskly turned away and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind herself. He exhaled and seemingly relaxed once she had left. But his thoughts were racing.

It was clear most of his unit had escaped the trap in Strasbourg or Renfro would have showed them – or their bodies – to him to mock him and to weaken him further. He could only pray that Kyla had made it. And now this mess! That was definitely not what he had planned.

You could say whatever you wanted about Renfro but she was not stupid. If she said PsyOps had a new procedure it was most likely true and he did not look forward to find out what it was. It would take him hours to use the techniques Lydecker had taught them in their childhood; he just didn't have enough time to force himself to forget about everything, eventually they would dig it out again.

How he wished Kyla would be there now. With her he was always calm and concentrated but now he didn't even know if she was alive anymore.

No! She was alive! She had to be!

And he would not give up without a fight! Maybe Renfro would eventually break him – nobody could resist torture indefinitely – but he would make her work for it, giving his siblings as much time as possible!

He closed his eyes and focused on staying calm, preparing himself for what was about to come as good as he could. But still Wolf could not deny that underneath his growing self-assurance and determination lay another feeling, small but still detectable.

Fear.

* * *

**Yes, he is alive. I mean, come on, I couldn't just kill him, could I? At least not like that.**

**Yes, this chapter was still kind of theory and not much action but as I said this is gonna change soon.**

**During the next chapters you're gonna find out what Max, Kyla and their siblings are gonna do and what happens to Wolf.**


	11. Reindoctrination

Okay, here we go again. This will be the last, let's say, dark chapter. In the next one you'll gonna see how this story is gonna turn and soon after that you'll get more about Logan and the other '09ers. However I first will have to end this part of the story, so I already apologize if this chapter is not going to be very pleasant.

Now this chapter will have to do for a while because I'm finally on vacation until the 29th of this month. Don't forget me, please, I will update as soon as I get back!

Thanks for the reviews again although I'm a little bit surprised: 84 hits and 2 reviews? Don't get me wrong, I really love the reviews I get but it seems I lost some of my regular readers. If it's because of the story: Tell me! As I said before I like constructive criticism!

But first of course thanks to my two reviewers, you're great!

**452max:** Glad you liked it. Yes, there will definitely be more about Max and Alec in the future chapters. I have some ideas in my head, so don't worry. Not for this chapter, however, but very soon, I promise. Thanks a lot!

**Divine Fighter: **Yep, Kara will have some showtime very soon, I'm quite sure in the next chapter already. But she has one scene in this one, too. Stay with me to find out, you'll see X7 are something to be feared in more than one way ;) Thanks to you, too!

* * *

He didn't have to wait long. Approximately two hours after Renfro had left five Manticore guards came to get him. They unfastened his restraints but only to twist his arms roughly and handcuff his hands behind his back again. With a trace of cynicism he noticed that he was wearing one of those grey gowns again; some things just never changed!

He had to acknowledge the guards knew what they were doing; only two of them were working on the restraints, the others kept their distance but kept their stun batons ready. They worked quickly and without saying a word; it was clear this wasn't the first time they were doing something like that. Even if he hadn't been injured he wasn't sure he would've made it out of the room.

During the whole procedure Wolf did his best not to show them how much their treatment hurt but when one of them accidently put pressure on the barely healed gunshot wound on his shoulder he couldn't hold back a pained scream and started to struggle, trying to escape, which only got him a cruel chuckle from several of the men.

"Shut up, kitty!" one of them growled amused and hit him in the face, hard. "Get him up!"

Two seized him by his upper arms and forced him to stand up. As soon as he was standing on his own feet again his instincts kicked in and all he wanted to do was attack them, fight for his freedom or at least inflict some pain but he controlled himself. He was in no condition to fight against five men, least of all against five highly trained PsyOps guards who knew exactly how they had to handle an X5. His wounds hurt more than ever before and the smell of blood had become stronger so at least one of his injuries had broken open again and to make matters worse breathing was suddenly getting harder.

"Listen" the one who had hit him – apparently the leader – said threatening, "we will bring you out of this room and to PsyOps. Now either you behave or I will hurt you, is that understood?"

Wolf didn't answer and looked at the man with a defiant smirk. He was in no position to really do anything at the moment and he knew it but he could at least get them a hard time. Apparently it worked as the PsyOps guard narrowed his eyes at him and snarled again:

"I said 'understood?'"

For one more second Wolf remained silent until he snorted in disdain and spit right at the man's feet. The soldier sighed annoyed and the young transgenic barely had time to steel himself against the blow before the man hit him in the stomach with his baton knocking the wind out of him. With a choked cry the X5 sank to his knees and when his two handlers let go of him he fell to the floor in a fetal position and suddenly he tasted blood in his mouth. Not satisfied yet the guard stabbed him with the baton again, sending electric shockwaves through his body and causing him to cry out once more.

"Well, kitty" his tormentor said after a few seconds with a cruel smile. What was that with the whole 'kitty'-thing anyway? Was that because of his feline DNA? Ridiculous! "Are you gonna behave now?"

Wolf looked up at him and forced a weak grin on his face, showing his blood-smeared teeth. "Bite me!"

Clearly angry now the guard growled and moved for another blow and Wolf closed his eyes and braced himself for the pain.

"That's enough!" another male voice suddenly shouted. Surprised when the pain didn't come Wolf opened his eyes cautiously. Standing in the doorframe was a man with a bald patch wearing a simple suit and tie. Sandoval slowly approached the group looking from the soldiers to Wolf and back. "If I was informed correctly you are supposed to bring the X5 to PsyOps and not beat him to death, corporal!"

"The little bastard didn't want to listen" the leader of the PsyOps guards snarled taking a step back from the X5. "I have to make sure my men are not put in any danger."

"I beg your pardon?" Sandoval looked at the weak and injured X5 who was watching him with attentive and surprised but also almost anxious eyes and then fixed the soldier with a cold stare. "He is wounded, handcuffed and obviously not in any state to fight! Stop this crap immediately and get him to PsyOps. Oh, and corporal: Without anymore incidents, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" the corporal said and gritted his teeth. "Get him up!"

Again two of the guards grabbed the young transgenic and jerked him back to his feet violently. He hissed in pain but did his best not to show it. Quickly they made their way out of the infirmary and towards the basement and PsyOps. The pain was getting worse now that he had to move and breathing became harder and harder but he tried to keep up. When they arrived it seemed like almost nothing had changed. The room looked the same as it had all those months ago and the threatening aura was still in the air. They put him on the table and restrained him and although the fear he had felt ever since Renfro had visited him quickly changed into a barely contained panic he didn't make a noise; the least he could do was not showing them how frightened he actually was. When they were done the guards stepped back and looked at him with sinister anticipation; they were clearly enjoying the situation.

"Leave us alone" Sandoval suddenly ordered. He had followed the small group and had watched the whole procedure.

"Sir?" the corporal asked surprised.

"I said: Leave us alone!" the agent repeated his order. "Director Renfro and the staff will arrive soon so you and your men are not needed here anymore."

"Yes, sir!" The guards left one after the other but Wolf could clearly see their disappointment; apparently they had been looking forward to witness the punishment of a rogue transgenic. After they had left the room was filled with silence and although he didn't look directly at him Wolf could feel Sandoval was observing him.

"It wouldn't have worked anyway, you know" the older man suddenly said.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you were trying to get them to hurt you badly enough so PsyOps couldn't start the reindoctrination." Sandoval sounded all professional and impartial but there was a small undertone of understanding and compassion which surprised the X5. "I don't exactly know how this new reindoctrination method works but I know it has nothing to do with the body. They would've started today no matter how badly you were injured."

"Then why did you stop them?"

"Because they were attacking a defenseless person" the older agent explained, "and that's something I couldn't let happen whether you're an escapee or not."

"I'm not an escapee!" Wolf objected looking at the other man for the first time. "Director Renfro is a traitor, I was just following orders!"

"There has been an investigation and there was absolutely no proof of her being a traitor" Sandoval informed him.

"Of course not!" the X5 snorted. "But you know her; she's very capable of covering her tracks."

"There has been not proof" Sandoval insisted and after that they both remained silent for some time until Wolf eventually spoke up again.

"Anyway, thank you for what you did, sir" he said quietly not looking at the man anymore. He really meant what he said and he also knew he would need every possible ally if he was to survive this. "I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it. I just can't stand senseless violence."

Wolf nodded and remained quiet for a few more seconds before he hesitantly asked: "Do you…do you know what this new method is about?"

"I just know that she has got get the approval of the committee first before she can send one of you to reindoctrination; seems to be a consequence of what happened to 452. You're the first however to undergo the new method, why I don't know. And I also don't know what this new procedure is about."

"No, he doesn't, but I do!" another voice interrupted. Renfro entered the room followed by three scientists in their white lab coats. "Having a little chat with him, agent Sandoval?"

"I was just waiting for your arrival, Director" the man replied calmly but Wolf thought he could detect a small note of discomfort.

"I'm sure you were. Dismissed" the blond woman smiled and after Sandoval had left she turned towards the restrained X5 who was watching her carefully and with disdain while the scientists started with their preparations. "So, you were asking about our new procedure?"

"Couldn't help my natural curiousness" Wolf replied with a taunting smirk. "You know, feline DNA and all."

"I see" she answered not at all angered by his attitude. As a matter of fact she looked rather amused. "Well, let's see what I can tell you. I'm sure you know the old procedure often required invasive action resulting in rather harsh physical injuries and it also took a long time until we could be sure the subject was properly reindoctrinated. Well, we've come up with something new and you should be grateful for that; the invasive actions are not necessary anymore so don't worry about your injuries. You're gonna heal just fine while we're working."

"I thought I was the first one to undergo this one" he growled annoyed by her happy mood. "How do you want to know it works?"

"Oh, it will work, one way or the other" she informed him sounding like the cold scientist she was. "You see, other than trying to get your mind to understand what is right like we did it before we actually found a much more direct and forceful way. You will be given a special psychotropic along with other ingredients. I don't understand all of it but basically it has something to do with your brain chemistry. We will be able to manipulate and change you the way we want. If our simulations are correct it is an intensely painful but ultimately successful procedure and like I said it will not take us months to reprogram you but only about three to five weeks."

"Keep dreaming" he growled but only to hide his nervousness. She really seemed to be confident about this. "I will never help you, least of all after a few weeks. I've spent months down here and I still did what was right!"

"X-series" she said with an almost admiring smile. "Defiant to the end. Believe me, it will work. In about a month all of your past troubles will be over and you'll be doing again what you were designed to do."

She leaned forward a little bit with her arms behind her back.

"But do you know what is the best part?" she asked with a vengeful smile. "As I already said the procedure is very painful, much more than the old reindoctrination although the pain will only be in your head, in your imagination. But the best part is: Because of the psychotropic and its side effects you will not be able to pass out. Now that should be interesting, shouldn't it?"

"Go to hell!" he hissed with intense hatred. If only he were not restrained! This woman would be dead in a heartbeat.

"Haven't you noticed, 451?" she murmured with satisfaction. "You are already in my hell."

She took a step back and turned towards the waiting scientists and nodded.

One of them approached him with a syringe in his hands and the young X5 growled warningly.

"Inject me with that thing and I'm gonna kill you!" he threatened but the doctor – if you could call him that – ignored him and Wolf felt the stabbing sensation of the needle in his arm and then felt the chemical cocktail rush through his body. But unlike he had experienced it in the past his body didn't go numb. Instead he could slowly feel the pain spreading from his chest to his legs and arms and then to his head. His breathing and heartbeat quickened and he gritted his teeth trying not to give the blond witch the satisfaction of seeing him in pain although he already knew it was futile. Another scientist approached him and forced the rubber gag into his mouth before a third one placed the laser above his right eye. He briefly wondered why they didn't adjust the eye clamps when he found out he couldn't close his eyes anymore.

"What you are feeling now is only a foretaste" Renfro informed him but it seemed to him like her voice became more and more distant; his only focus was now on the red laser before him. He tried to prepare for the pain that was about to come but something told him it was futile. Still he was determined to try and remain silent for as long as he could. When the leading scientist turned on the laser he found out he couldn't and very transgenic within earshot flinched when they heard the screams of terror and agony coming from the basement.

* * *

"Okay, is everybody clear about this?" Major Coleman asked one last time looking at the assembled unit two. They were standing in the hangar of Fortress Delta and the Cougars were already warming up. "Sergeant O'Neill and Corporal Hayden will be going with you as reinforcement but they will remain in the background and coordinate the different teams. I will watch you from here together with the Colonel. You've got your target areas and your mission objectives. Remember this is a reconnaissance mission so try to avoid any contact with the enemy and the authorities. Get in, verify our information and get out again. Any questions?"

"None, sir" Kyla replied for her unit. She was aching to get out of the SRTU's base but she remained stoic. Coleman nodded.

"Very well. Good hunting, unit two!"

"You heard the man!" the black-haired woman shouted. "Get on the Cougars!"

The transgenics and ordinary soldiers voiced their affirmatives and made their way towards the waiting helicopters. Max briefly turned towards Kara who was waiting at the Major's side.

"I wanna come with you!" the X7 complained. "I'm a soldier, Max, just like the rest of you!"

"You know it isn't possible" Max sighed and tried to explain once again. She knew it was almost unbearable for her younger self to remain behind; after all the young girl had been trained her whole life to be a soldier and not to run from a fight but she just wasn't ready yet to face the Alliance's augmented soldiers. "We will come back as fast as we can. You will have your fight one day, but not now!"

"I want to help!" Kara insisted sternly. It would be even more difficult to just stay in the Fortress now that even Hayden and O'Neill would be out there. If the situation hadn't been so serious Max would've smiled at the young girl's determination.

"And one day you will" a voice from behind interrupted her. The two twins suddenly got aware of Lydecker approaching them casually until he stood at Kara's side. "But not now. Max is right; this is not your fight yet. Accept it!"

"Yes, sir!" the girl said defiantly but Max could clearly see her younger sister wanted to say something completely different.

"Max!" Kyla's voice brought her back to reality. The shorthaired team leader was standing next to one of the Cougars together with Ares who would accompany them once again. "Are you coming now or what?"

"Sorry, I have to go" she said briskly and turned away and jogged towards her waiting team. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm away, small one!"

"Don't call me that, dammit!" Kara called after her but Max didn't seem to hear. The small girl sighed and turned towards Lydecker. "Sir, why does everybody think I'm always doing something stupid?"

"I don't know, Kara" the old officer replied. "Perhaps because it's true?"

"But sir, I'm not!" the X7 insisted looking up to him and catching the small smile on his face.

"Then why did I hear the Sergeant-Major of the armory complaining that since we're here some of his equipment seems to disappear and reappear all the time?"

"Uh, I don't know, sir" she answered caught a little bit off-guard. "Perhaps he doesn't really know how to look after it?"

"Yeah, and perhaps somebody is trying to keep herself busy. Somebody who has liked weapons ever since I've known her. How about that?"

"That's…possible, sir" the girl replied and looked at him warily. Was she about to be punished?

"How about that, Kara?" he offered. "The next time you want to learn how to disassemble a Sako sniper rifle you tell me and I will see that you get one."

"Understood, sir" she said quietly and also downhearted. He knew.

'_Of course he knows, he is Donald Lydecker, you stupid girl!'_ she berated herself. This was going to be some harsh punishment. Why had she been so stupid?

But when she looked up at him he was still smiling and suddenly she got the weird feeling that perhaps she wouldn't be punished. But how could that be? She had disobeyed the rules after all and in Manticore she would've been in for a very hard time. But not this time, it appeared. Why was that?

Kara shook her head and sighed. Sometimes adults were really complicated to understand she decided and watched Max get into the Cougar.

"What was that, Max?" Kyla wanted to know after they had boarded the aircraft and closed the door.

"I was just saying goodbye" Max answered. "Relax."

"I will relax when we're back" her older sibling informed her coldly "and I suggest you do the same. Focus on the mission, Max!"

After that the shorthaired woman turned towards the small windows, watching the ground beneath them. Max sighed and shook her head quietly. Yes, Kyla was back. Or rather 301 was back. Ever since the briefing when she had resumed command Kyla was so focused on the missions at hand Max barely ever recognized her friend anymore. She was short-tempered and cold, much more than she had ever been before and Max was not the only one who had noticed. The whole team knew Kyla was out for revenge and they were smart enough not to get in her way.

Max sighed again. It seemed there was nothing they could do for the moment. She turned towards Jondy.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Her sister had only been released from the infirmary three days ago and Max wasn't sure she was fully ready but Jondy just nodded and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Max, I'm fine" she informed her. "Transgenic healing. It has its blessings."

Then she cast a look towards the stone-faced Kyla.

"Don't anger her, Max. She still needs some time."

'_Yeah_', Max thought and nodded. _'But is time the only thing she needs?'_

* * *

When the laser stopped his whole body went limp in a second and his screams were reduced to weak and barely audible sounds of exhaustion, pain and despair.

"That should do it for today" one of the scientists said and turned towards the two waiting PsyOps guards. "Get him to the showers and then bring him to his cell. We'll start again in six hours."

"Understood." The guards undid the restraints and lifted him off the table. Wolf didn't move to attack them. As a matter of fact he didn't move at all and they had to drag him out of the room and to the showers. He barely noticed his environment and when they got to the showers he was slipping in and out of unconsciousness.

The guards dragged him into the shower room and just let go off him. He fell onto the hard floor but wasn't able to stop his fall. His arm got caught between the floor and his body and he could hear the sickening crack has the bone broke and he moaned in agony at the new pain but his captors just ignored it. They turned on the water and left like they'd done it during the last five days.

When he felt the water on his hot skin he regained some of his consciousness. Five days. Five days since that torture had started. Renfro had been absolutely right, the pain was unbearable and whatever it was they kept injecting him with it made it impossible for him to lose consciousness. He tried to resist but to no avail. The old reindoctrination had been harsh but compared to this new procedure it had been almost easy.

Whatever they did it was like they were trying to force another personality upon him. The old reindoctrination had been about making the subject understand what Manticore wanted and explaining why they wanted it. The new procedure didn't even try to make him understand, it was more like they tried to erase everything they didn't want from his memory and personality with a force he would never have thought possible.

And they were successful. It had only been five days now, sessions of about six to eight hours and then they gave him some hours to recover. Sure, his body wasn't really injured but the constant stress and pain – even while it was only imagination – was almost too much even for his transgenic organism. During those periods of recovery he regained his usual and true self but he could feel how he quickly lost more and more of his true feelings. Sometimes during the sessions he already started to hate his old unit, considered them as traitors and enemies. Even Kyla.

Kyla! He could see her face and beneath all his despair and pain he felt happiness. And he made a decision. It had only been five days since they started it and Renfro wanted it to last at least four weeks. He knew he wouldn't hold out that long; already now they began to succeed, how would he think and act after four weeks of that torture?

He felt his own tears mixing with the cold water on his face and the grief and loss he felt was more intense than anything he had ever experienced before. But he knew it had to be done or he would end up betraying, attacking and perhaps even killing his siblings and the woman he loved. He couldn't let that happen.

He shifted and brought his left arm to his face. Closing his eyes he remembered all the happy times he'd had with his siblings and most of all with Kyla.

"Forgive me!" he whispered quietly and then in one violent move he sank his teeth – sharper and an ordinary human's – into his flesh until he felt the pulsating blood in his mouth.

* * *

"Get him on the table, now!" Cottle shouted the second the X5-613 entered the operating room with and unconscious X5-451 in his arms. He had already been informed an X5 had been injured and his staff was already preparing the room for an emergency op. The transgenic's grey gown was wet and covered in blood. "What the hell happened to him?"

"I don't know, sir" 613 said while he laid the pale and unmoving body on the operating table. "I was going to the showers where two of the PsyOps guards informed me 451 was currently in there. Then I smelled blood, lots of it. I informed the guards about it and we entered. That was how I found him."

Cottle quickly found the wound that had caused his disaster and he hissed in anger when he saw what it was; right behind the left wrist the flesh was torn open and blood was still oozing from it. He recognized the bite mark immediately and it didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened; everybody on the base knew 451 was undergoing some new sort of reindoctrination.

"Callen" he barked towards one of the nurses. "Give him a blood transfusion and get me the EM kit. We have to stop this bleeding or we will lose him!"

"Yes, sir!" the woman answered briskly and in a professional voice. She was just a nurse but she had seen much more than many fully trained doctor.

"Higgings, keep pressure on that wound, we have to keep him with us! How are his vitals?"

"Pulse and blood pressure are very low" another nurse informed him. "I don't know if he's gonna make it!"

"He is gonna make it" Cottle growled while he cut the bloodstained gown. "Cullen! Where the hell is my EM kit?"

"Here you go, doctor!" the nurse appeared at his side and handed him the needed items. She already knew what had to be done; this wasn't her first emergency operation.

"Okay, Higgins, let me get to the wound! Quickly now!"

After that almost no words were spoken anymore. Cottle and his staff were a well-trained and experienced team and they worked quickly and efficiently. 613 was just standing in the room and watching the whole scenery, hoping 451 could be saved. He still didn't understand why the rogue X5 had done this, why he had tried to take his own life. Never before a transgenic had tried to do that.

Cottle worked silently, only giving orders to his staff when absolutely needed. After some time it looked like they would be able to stabilize the injured X5 and he breathed a small sigh of relief. But what nobody could know where the thoughts in his head.

'_Renfro, you goddamned maniac, what have you done this time!'_ he growled silently while the tried to repair the damage done to the transgenic body. He had been informed about the new reindoctrination procedure but he knew only the basics. But he was the head physician of this base; he knew how you got information if you really needed it. _'First Lydecker and now this! Now that's it! To hell with the rules, I'm not gonna play along in this madness anymore. And I might already know what has to be done! Just hang on a little bit longer, Wolf, just hang on! I'm gonna get you out of here!'_

* * *

**Okay, that's it for now!**

**As I said until the 29****th**** I'm on vacation but I'll be back, promise! And as I promised you will soon see more of Logan, the '09ers and how this story is gonna turn!**

**And if possible please review! I really can live with criticism so if you think I'm going the wrong way, tell me! Reviews are live!**


	12. Turned

Okay, I know I'm late and I'm really sorry for that. What can I say? RL sucks!

So, another chapter where you'll get to see what Renfro is doing to Wolf and what happens to the rest of the unit. In the next chapter Logan gets some screen time and you'll find out how I plan to bring back the other '09ers.

And as always thanks to my reviewers, you're great!

**452max:** Well, as I said I'm really sorry for the delay, but here you go. As for Wolf getting out; patience ;)

**nattylovesu:** Glad you liked it. Well, I just kind of started to like the guy, so no, I couldn't kill him. You'll get to see what happened to him in this chapter.

**cappsy:** Welcome on board and thanks for the review. Yes, Kara is kind of sneaky, you will soon find out what she can do, probably in the next chapter. Thanks again!

**Divine Fighter:** Thanks to you, too. Yep, Renfro is kind of crazy but like now she's on top. You will see what I mean in this chapter! And Kyla? Well, let's say she will have to make a difficult decision in the next update.

* * *

"I still can't see why you had to come here yourself, Colonel" Renfro said without looking at the man at her side. They were going to the infirmary and she already knew he wouldn't like what she was going to show him; not that she cared anyway.

"The committee wants me to assure that PsyOps protocol is respected and that this incident was none of your fault." Colonel McGinnis shot her a brief glance. "I'm sure you can understand this after what happened to 734 and 452 when they were in PsyOps."

"Well, yes. But what incident are you talking about?"

"The attempted suicide of X5-451."

"Oh, I see" she said. "Well, there's not much to tell. Reindoctrination had been running for five days when he tried to kill himself four days ago."

"How?"

"He tore out his own artery, used his own teeth."

"That's…unusual." McGinnis didn't know what bothered him more: The indifferent tone of Renfro's voice or the fact that an X5 had tried to kill himself just to avoid reindoctrination. "How was that possible?"

"The guards who brought him to the showers after the session left him alone for a few minutes. It won't happen again."

"And why did he do that? Have you already talked to him?"

"That wasn't necessary" she shook her head. "Our new method is just as successful as we hoped and apparently he came to the conclusion that he had no other option to protect the other escapees. It was an unexpected move but as I said already; it won't happen again."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Our head physician is checking him for a last time today and after that he will be sent back to PsyOps to complete the reindoctrination."

"Already?" the tall man asked surprised. "I thought his injuries were quite serious."

"They were" she agreed, "but you know transgenics heal faster than us and the reindoctrination does not injure him in a physical way. He'll be fine and besides that he's been awake for almost ten hours now. If we wait for too long he'll perhaps and try to forget about the other escapee's location. I can't risk that."

They entered the medical wing.

"Almost there."

At the sound of a door being opened Wolf opened his eyes and breathed a silent sigh of relief when he saw it was Doctor Cottle who entered the room.

"Good morning, 451" the older man greeted and approached him. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." Wolf was surprised himself how weak his voice sounded. It had been three days since he had tried to end his life and from what the nurse – Callen – had told him after he had woken up it had been a close call. He had lost a lot of blood and for a few hours even Cottle hadn't been sure how it would turn out and even now he still felt sore and weak. Nevertheless he hurriedly added: "Sir."

"Still tired, hm? Not surprising after what you did" the older man murmured while having a look at his patient's medical file and Wolf prepared himself for another lecture about how stupid his actions had been but for once Cottle didn't start in this direction. "It looks like your arm is healing fine and that wound on your wrist looks good, too. You should make a full recovery. I'm afraid I have bad news for you, though."

The physician stopped for a moment and looked at the unusually pale transgenic. Wolf kept looking at him almost without blinking and although he was tired to death he felt his anger rising when Cottle talked about his broken arm which was still in a cast; he remembered very well how that particular injury had happened.

"What is it, doctor? It's not like you're going to tell me I'm going to die, are you? Would have been quite a waste of your time, then!" Wolf didn't want to sound as hostile as he did and he regretted the words as soon as they had left his mouth but it was too late to take them back. Cottle and his staff seemed to be the only ones who cared about his well-being so in a weird way he really felt grateful towards them although they messed up his plan. His plan; funny thing to call an attempted suicide a plan!

But the older man didn't seem to be bothered and just shook his head with a sigh.

"No, you're gonna live, 451" he assured him, "and although I can somehow understand – at least partly – why you did what you did I will make sure you won't be able to do it again. It's not the right thing to do and you know it! No, this is not about your physical health but I had to report to the director this morning and she decided you will be brought back to PsyOps today."

Upon hearing this Wolf grew very quiet in an instant and Cottle could have sworn the young X5 turned even paler than before. The old physician cringed inwardly when he saw the turmoil and barely suppressed fears his words caused. He had known the X5s ever since they had been children and he knew 451 had gone into enemy territory more often than anybody else – except perhaps for 301 – and had fought and won several seemingly hopeless battles. Even before he had tried to kill himself Cottle had known this transgenic wasn't afraid of death as most other people were and he sure as hell knew the X5s had been told from the beginning that death would be a constant possibility in their lives. Nevertheless the young man lying in this bed now looked scared to no end and Cottle felt once again that what he was about to do was the right thing.

"Couldn't you try to keep me here a little bit longer, sir?" Wolf asked after a moment, clinging to that last hope. He had already tried to force his memories to disappear but he was just too tired to concentrate long enough; he needed more time if he wanted to forget everything Renfro was so interested in; Fortress Delta, his team's plans and everything else. And if he was honest this wasn't even the main reason why he wanted to stay in the infirmary. The infirmary was safe; it meant no PsyOps guards, no laser and none of this strange cocktail they kept injecting him with and most of all no pain. He wouldn't have thought he would ever be so afraid of pain before Renfro had put him into th basement again but as a matter of fact he was. Afraid wasn't even the right word; he was terrified. "Just…a few days, sir."

"You know I would do that if I could, 451" Cottle replied with a sigh and shook his head.

"Sir, please!" That word alone let the older man feel guilty he couldn't help the younger soldier. X5s didn't ask for favors and most of all they didn't beg. The few times he had experienced one of them doing so were memories he'd like to forget. "Sir, with all due respect, you have no idea what it's like, sir."

"You're right, I don't. But there's nothing I can do about it." Cottle didn't like lying to the younger man but if he told Wolf anything about his plan the transgenic would betray him as soon as he was reprogrammed. He sighed again and approached Wolf slowly while he reached into his white coat and produced a chip injector out of its pocket. "I will inject you with a short range surveillance chip. If your vitals should drop again I will know about it immediately."

Wolf looked away, feeling defeated.

"Why are you so determined to keep me alive, sir?" he asked quietly. "I will do terrible things once that witch has turned me. It would be better to let me go."

"I'm a doctor, 451!" For the first time Cottle sounded angry. "I swore an oath to preserve life, not to destroy it! And by the way, what you did was in my eyes not only stupid but also selfish! Now hold still!"

"You really have no idea what you are talking about, sir!" Wolf muttered and hissed briefly when he felt a stinging pain in his shoulder.

"Perhaps I don't" Cottle agreed and took a step back once he was sure the chip was safely embedded in the X5s shoulder musculature. "But I know that not even you X-series can predict the future and as a soldier it is your duty to hold out as long as you can because perhaps something is gonna happen you haven't thought of."

Wolf looked at the older man with slight surprise but Cottle didn't make any attempt to explain his words.

"That chip has only a range of about half a mile so it won't be of any use as soon as you're outside this compound. And try not to get electro shocked or it will be destroyed. Oh, and if you try to pull it out I will stick the next one somewhere you can't reach it that easily, understood?"

"Understood, sir!" the young transgenic replied but was already thinking about how he could pull that chip. "Sir, what…?"

Before he could finish the sentence the door opened again and six PsyOps guards entered, followed by Renfro and a man Wolf recognized after a few seconds as Colonel McGinnis.

"Is he ready, doctor?" the blond director asked without hesitation while the guards took their positions around the bed.

"Physically? Yes. But I still highly recommend you to wait a few more days! If you put him under the stress of your reindoctrination now already I can't guarantee for anything! He could have a cardiac arrest or God knows what else. You can't risk that!"

"I can and I will, doctor" she informed him coldly.

"If he dies you win nothing, director" McGinnis suddenly stepped in. "Wouldn't it be better to wait a little bit longer?"

"You are here to have a look at 451, Colonel, not to tell me how I have to do my job" the blond reminded him warningly. "We can't wait! If we give him too much time he'll start to force his mind to forget and I certainly won't risk that! And besides that we will be careful. If it makes you feel better, doctor, I will allow one of your medical staff to be present during the sessions so if anything happens somebody will be there to take care of him."

"He's not ready yet" Cottle insisted. "I don't like it."

"Fortunately you don't have to like it, Major Cottle" Renfro informed him with a sneer. "PsyOps is not your responsibility, it's mine. So, is there anything else?"

"No, there isn't" Cottle finally gave in. He had a whole facility of transgenic soldiers to take care of and it wouldn't do them any good if he went against Renfro too hard and got fired. He knew he was important to Manticore but not irreplaceable. "I will send nurse Callen to the reindoctrination room."

"You do that" Renfro said dismissively and turned towards Wolf who was watching her with intense but silent hatred. "So, ready to go again, 451?"

"Haven't you anything else to do?" the young X5 snarled. "Like, attending another Alliance meeting or something?"

"I take that as a yes" she replied with a false smile and nodded. "Get him up!"

With trained moves the guards undid the restraint and tied his hands behind his back again and just like every time before they didn't care if their treatment caused him pain or not and he clenched his teeth not to hiss in pain again when they twisted his formerly broken and barely healed arm.

"Watch it, you blockhead!" Cottle suddenly barked. "We didn't patch him up so you can break that arm again!"

The PsyOps guard shot him an annoyed glance but relaxed his grip a little bit and Wolf sighed quietly in relief. Once they were done the let got him out of the bed and the young transgenic shivered slightly when his feet touched the cold floor. Then suddenly he felt dizzy and his vision became blurry but the guards still held him in a firm grip and prevented him from falling. After a few moments his vision became better again and he felt like he would be able to stand on his own but he still felt kind of lightheaded.

"Let go of him!" Renfro ordered in her cold and unemotional voice and the guards immediately obeyed. "Now, 451, these men will escort you to PsyOps. I give you the direct order to walk on your own and without any help. As you should know by now a usual session lasts six hours. For every time you fall or slow down I will add another hour. Is that clear?"

"With all due respect, director, but that's insane!" Cottle objected vehemently. "Look at him, he can barely stand on his own feet!"

"As I told you before" Renfro sneered warningly, "this is none of your business! Once again, is that clear, 451?"

Wolf nodded – there was no point in resisting – but regretted it immediately as he was rewarded with a new wave of dizziness.

"Let's get going then."

Slowly and unsteadily the X5 started to walk flanked by the half dozen of PsyOps guards but he made it barely out of the room before he started to stagger and his vision became almost black and on top of all he was gripped by nausea. He moaned and lost control of his body again but before he could fall however two of Renfro's men gripped him thus preventing him from falling. It was not an act of mercy; they just didn't want him to hurt himself as again they would have to reschedule his reprogramming once more. They waited until he was a little bit better then let go of him.

"That was the first hour, 451" he heard Renfro say behind him and slowly looked over his shoulder to meet her eyes. She watched him with a sadistic smile. "You better get going or I'll add another one."

Wolf could see how Cottle, who was standing behind her, turned red with anger and even McGinnis looked at her in disbelief but he knew he couldn't expect any help anymore. Cottle had tried but Renfro was the head of the facility and easily overruled him and he didn't even know McGinnis well enough to be sure what that man was thinking so he just turned around and started walking again, determined not to stop again; it would only make his punishment worse

Of course he didn't succeed. His body was still much too weak and even before they had left the infirmary wing he knew he would not make it. On the way to the basement he almost fell several times and had it not been for the men of PsyOps who gripped him every time he'd certainly have injured himself again but they were on their guard; nothing should come between him and reindoctrination this time. He felt like throwing up, his head spun and dark spots were dancing before his eyes. He wasn't even aware of Renfro's taunting voice anymore and neither did he notice the worried and shocked glances the few transgenics they passed shot him.

When they reached the basement he finally passed out, the comforting blackness welcoming him for once but he regained consciousness all too soon and they forced him to move forward again. Finally they reached the reindoctrination room and upon seeing the scientists already waiting for him he finally passed out for good. The guards didn't mind and just dragged him into the room and lay him on the table. While the scientists prepared for the reprogramming nurse Callen who had already arrived checked his vitals, giving the X5 who was now moaning quietly and slipping in and out of consciousness a compassionate look.

"What are they gonna do to him now?" McGinnis wanted to know. He, Cottle and Renfro were standing near the door and watched the whole procedure. He didn't look at Renfro and his jaw muscles were tensed. Lydecker had been right, this witch was insane!

"I think Doctor Ogawa here could explain this much better than I can" Renfro replied nodding at one of the white-coated men, not bothering with McGinnis' disdainful tone. "He's is our specialist. Doctor?"

"Of course, director!" the Asian-looking man replied and turned towards McGinnis. "You see, the old reindoctrination procedure was more a psychological procedure than a real reprogramming. We developed a method with which we can directly influence a subject's beliefs and thinking."

"How?"

"We use drug induced hallucinations like it has been done before but at the same time we inject the subject with a mixture of pain-inducing medicaments and – and that's the most important part – a series of nanites. These are microscopic robots, designed with a special task; they attach themselves to the subject's synapses and with them we are able to stimulate its brain chemistry. This allows us to influence its thinking, its point of view. In a very directly and absolute way, if I might add that."

"What are the dangers?" Doctor Cottle wanted to know.

"Well, it's a very experimental method – unfortunately very painful – but until now we've been highly successful. The only problem is that after about four weeks the nanites detach themselves from the synapses and we have to repeat the process; otherwise the effect of the nanites would wear off and the subject would regain his previous thinking and behavior. But this will never happen, because you see; if the process is not repeated in time the nanites will throw the subject's brain and body chemistry out of balance and it will die within a few day as its body will suffer from severe organ failure. A very useful safeguard." McGinnis didn't know what he hated more; the fact that this scientist was talking about the X5 like he was a lifeless toy or the apparent exciting and pride in the man's voice. "But you should know that, Major Cottle, you downloaded the whole data after 451 was brought to the infirmary, didn't you?"

"I did. I had to be sure if there would be no complications with my treatment" Cottle answered with a derisive smile. That sadist apparently really thought Cottle was interested; if he only knew why he had studied those files! "I just wanted to seek advice from the _expert_."

"I see" Ogawa nodded apparently obvious to Cottles disgusted tone. "I'm always glad if I can be of some help. Well, it looks like my assistants are ready, I must ask you to leave now, there are just too many people in the room, I'm sorry."

"No problem, thank you for sharing your expertise" Renfro said and stepped out of the room and Cottle and McGinnis followed. The door was shut and sealed and Renfro turned towards the two men again. "Well, what do you think, Colonel?"

"I think I will never understand why you have to treat the transgenic soldiers like that and that's exactly what I will report to my superiors!" McGinnis answered with barely hidden anger.

"Well, I guessed that" Renfro answered nonchalantly, "but we are very successful and that's all that counts. They're partly animal and if you want them to obey you you have to treat them like that."

Suddenly they got aware of agent Sandoval approaching and the three of them turned towards him.

"Director Renfro, Doctor, Colonel" he greeted them one after another. "There is a call for you."

"I'll take it in my office, thank you" she replied. "Well, Colonel, this has been a highly interesting visit, but I'm sure you will find your way out yourself. Gentlemen."

She left and McGinnis watched her round the corner until he exhaled and shook his head.

"This is insane" he muttered more to himself before he returned his attention back to the two other men with him. "Well, but I think she's right, I better be going."

"As a matter of fact" agent Sandoval spoke up, "I've hoped you could stay a little bit longer, Colonel. There is a very serious matter I'd like to discuss with you."

"I really don't have much time" McGinnis informed him.

"But it is really urgent, sir" the bald-patched man insisted. "And I'd like you to be there, too, doctor."

"Me?" Cottle sounded surprised. Usually he tried to avoid Renfro's personal assistant. "Why's that?"

"I can't tell you here, why don't we go outside?" Sandoval offered.

"Is it really that important?" McGinnis on the other hand sounded rather annoyed but also a little bit interested. "I have other things to do, you know."

"Oh, I can assure you'll want to hear what I have to tell you, sir" Sandoval assured him. McGinnis didn't know why but something in the other man's voice and composure made him suspect this was something he wasn't gonna like but also something he really needed to know.

"Alright" he sighed. "I have to make a call first. Let's meet at the main entrance in fifteen minutes, is that okay for you, doctor?"

"Of course, Colonel" Cottle replied but eyed Sandoval suspiciously. That man was up to something and somehow Cottle was pretty sure he didn't want Renfro to hear it.

* * *

Meanwhile Renfro had arrived at her office and picked up the phone once she was sure she was alone.

"Renfro?"

"_How is it going, Director?"_ Cullins again! This guy really had nerves, calling her at Manticore directly.

"Everything is going according to plan, Major" she assured him coldly. "Nothing to be worried about."

"_And what about 451? Are his injuries healed?"_

"What part of 'nothing to be worried about' did you not understand, Cullins?" she hissed clearly annoyed now.

"_So you're sure you can deploy him like we agreed?"_

"Just like I said two days ago, he'll be with you in three weeks. Now is there anything else or have you finally understood what I'm telling you?"

"_Oh, I understand perfectly, Director."_ She could practically hear his smirk and felt her own anger boil up.

"Fine. I'll contact you." Without waiting for a reply she hung up.

* * *

_Three weeks later_

"I still can't believe it!" Alec groaned for the hundredth time. "Why do these things always happen to me?"

"It's not that bad" Nova tried to reassure him while she tightened the bandage on his left leg. "You'll be up and running in a few days."

"Yeah, right!" he snorted. "And I will surely never gonna live this one down!"

They were coming back from their second recon mission and finally they had struck luck. In the East of Austria they had found an outpost of the Alliance. It wasn't much but they finally started to find out where their enemies where hiding now. Unfortunately Alec had been caught by surprise by a very aggressive farmer whose barn they had used as an improvised command centre and said farmer was not only absolutely not pleased that some strangers were using his barn as a hideout but he had also wielded an old shotgun and had opened fire on them without any questions. Alec had been hit in the leg and while it was by no means a dangerous injury it would certainly put him out of commission for a few days and his teammates didn't miss any opportunity to tease him about having been shot by an ordinary.

"Oh" Max mocked him from the other end of the cabin. "Having a bad day, pretty boy?"

"A little bit" he replied with a smug grin and added suggestively. "Want to kiss it better, Maxie?"

"Don't call me that!" she growled and looked away. The next few minutes were spent in silence until the pilot announced that they had reached their destination and once again the Cougar helicopter declined to land safely within the hangar of Fortress Delta. Max had wondered why the Swiss always used helicopters to travel – it was quite more noticeable than a car after all – but she had learned that the only road to the Fortress had been destroyed in the war against the Russians and the Swiss never repaired it; like this it was also much more difficult for any enemy to come close to the fortress with heavy equipment without being noticed.

Once the aircraft had landed safely one after the other the transgenics got off the helicopter and were greeted with the sight of Colonel Lydecker and Major Coleman who were already waiting for them. When Alec jumped out of the chopper he kind of forgot about his injured leg and suddenly hissed in pain. He stumbled and would certainly have fallen if Max hadn't reacted inhumanly fast and grabbed him by his tactical vest.

"Careful, dammit!" she growled at him but when she saw how pained he was her gaze softened. She still held him and subconsciously her fingers brushed over his barcode. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay" he hissed with sudden hostility. "Let go of me already, I'm fine!"

"Fine!" she spat and shoved him away which almost got him to fall again but this time Max didn't pay attention but walked away.

The rest of the team had watched from a safe distance and Nova shared a knowing glance with Artemis and Blade and they all smiled silently.

"Get yourself checked in the infirmary!" Lydecker ordered Alec, "Mission debriefing in one hour. Dismissed!"

The transgenics saluted and while Alec slowly hobbled towards the infirmary the rest of the team continued their way to their quarters.

"What is it with those two?" Ares wanted to know and shook his head.

"Come on!" Artemis grinned. "It's not that hard to guess, is it?"

"Not really" Havoc agreed. "I'm pretty sure we're gonna have another couple within our ranks in a few weeks."

"Weeks?" Nova interrupted. "How about a few days? The act like they're gonna jump at each other any second!"

"Didn't look like that" Ares said but Blade just snorted.

"Yeah, right! Did you see how she touched his barcode?"

"Does that mean something?"

"I'll explain to you later" the Asian woman replied and Jondy laughed.

"I'm sure you will, Blade!" she said and grinned. "I'd like to hear that explanation."

"Oh, shut up, will you!" Blade growled at her friend and blushed slightly.

"But why didn't he accept her help then?" Ares wanted to know ignoring Jondy's obvious suggestion.

"Alec doesn't want to show weakness in front of her. It's just another feline thing. He is an Alpha and subconsciously wants to impress Max. I'm almost sure he doesn't even know why he's acting like that" Brin answered that question. "Sure, he was never an official CO but he commanded unit two very often when…"

She suddenly trailed off and shot a slightly worried look at Kyla who was leading the small group.

"When what?" Ares asked.

"When Wolf and I were away and on missions" Kyla answered matter-of-factly without turning around. The whole unit became very quiet in an instant. Sure, Kyla had overcome her grief and she had been leading them effectively and without hesitation during the past weeks but they all knew deep down she was still hurt and sought revenge for her partner's death.

"I'm sorry" Ares replied after a moment. "I didn't know."

"It's okay" Kyla assured him. "You couldn't…"

"_Alarm, Alarm!"_ it suddenly sounded through the whole facility. _"Echo-Basis wird angegriffen, ich wiederhole, Echo-Basis wird angegriffen! Alle verfügbaren Einheiten sofort zum Haupthangar! Alarmstarts genehmigt, ich wiederhole…!"_

„Scheisse!" Ares muttered and turned on his heel and sprinted right back to where they had been coming from; towards the hangar. The rest of the X5s followed him without hesitation. They had not understood every word but they all knew something bad was happening.

"Ares, what's going on?" Blade shouted.

"Our training facility is under attack!" he replied without slowing down. "Hurry!"

They reentered the hangar right when the first helicopter was took off and sprinted towards the second one, getting on the aircraft as fast as they could. Suddenly Alec appeared as well and wanted to board.

"Forget it, Alec!" Kyla shouted and pushed him back. "You're in no condition to fight! Stay here!"

"But…" the brown-haired transgenic began but she cut him off.

"No but, that's an order, 494!" she growled and then looked at the loadmaster before Alec had a chance to object. "Close the door!"

The man nodded and did as he was told and right after that the pilot took off and started a very fast ascend, much faster than usual. Max couldn't help but look at Alec's angry face through the window for as long as she could until she couldn't see him anymore and she felt a little bit sorry for him but she also agreed with Kyla; he was in no state to fight. Ares listened to the wireless talk and when they were out of the hangar and flying north he turned to the waiting X5s.

"Echo-Base, our training facility is under attack from an unknown enemy and they're taking heavy fire! We are to reinforce they guards and to protect the Echo generation!"

"Echo generation?" Jace asked although she was almost sure she already knew the answer.

"The next generation of our transgenic soldiers. Pretty much like Kara! I'll explain it later!"

"How many attackers?" Kyla had switched into combat mode already and her face was a mask of cold concentration.

"Unknown!" Ares shook his head.

"ETA three minutes!" the pilot announced.

After that they didn't talk anymore. Ares was still listening to the radio chatter from Fortress Delta but there was no useful information and the X5s readied themselves for the battle. Sure, the attacked troops were not their own but in some kind they just knew they had to help Ares and his siblings; after all the Delta soldiers had always been there for them as well. After a little bit more than two and a half minute the Cougar started to decline and the loadmaster opened the door even before they had touched the ground.

Ares jumped of the aircraft and the others followed. Max took a few seconds to take in their environments; it looked like they had landed on a drill ground. Around them were several barracks and it looked almost a little bit like the Manticore facility in Gilette; military compounds apparently looked all the same all around the world. Some of the buildings were aflame and the black smoke started already to burn in her lungs. She could hear gunfire and screams and shouts and she smelled the stench of explosions and blood. Behind her she also heard the noise of several approaching helicopters, more troops from Fortress Delta.

"Follow me!" Ares shouted and the group started to move. They entered the first barrack and quickly and efficiently searched it but there was nobody in the building.

"Where the hell is everybody?" Nova muttered and Ares shot her a very worried glance. The Echos were his younger siblings and if they were not here…

He forced himself not to think about that and focused on the mission. They left the barrack and joined another group of Deltas and together they made their way towards the sounds of gunfire. When they approached the main entrance of the compound they could see the large gate had been destroyed by a huge explosion. Everywhere they could see bodies and the smell of blood became a lot heavier. This place was a battlefield. The gunfire had suddenly stopped and the transgenics looked around suspiciously. Either the attackers were gone or they had eliminated all the guards and were now waiting for them.

Suddenly a movement behind a destroyed truck caught Max's attention and she already raised her weapon when a male voice shouted something and Ares signaled her not to shoot. He answered in his native language and a boy who couldn't have been older than thirteen or fourteen appeared with a gun in his hands and ran towards them. Max winced in sympathy when she saw the boys bloody face; apparently he had been hit by a piece of shrapnel or something the like.

"Sitrep!" Ares ordered once the boy had reached them and with a nod towards the X5s added: "Speak English!"

"Echo-58, sir. We were attacked by at least three platoons of infantry, sir!" the young boy said visibly shaken. "Most of the guards were immediately killed and then they started to come for us. Most of the company has made it to the mess and I think they were able to defend themselves. My unit has been cut off and we've tried to hold out over there."

He pointed towards the destroyed truck. Ares shared a glance with his fellow Delta soldiers and they just nodded and approached the vehicle carefully.

"What about your commanding officer?" Ares then wanted to know.

"We haven't heard from Major Seiler, he was in his quarters when the attack happened. From what I could see the attack has been primarily directed at that building, sir. When the first helicopter came into view the enemy has retreated. I'm sorry we didn't pursue them, sir, but we had losses and I couldn't contact our instructor; I think he's still in the mess with the others."

"Don't worry, 58" Ares said quietly. "You did the right thing."

He sounded calm but the X5s could hear his barely contained anger.

"Nova, Jace, go see if you can help 58 and his unit, the rest of you follow me! We have to find out what happened. First we go to the mess!"

Without a word they started moving again while Nova tended to the young Echo soldier's injuries and Jace approached the group of Deltas who had already reached the distressed and injured group of Echo transgenics. By now the place was almost swarming with Delta soldiers but still there was no gunfire anymore; it seemed like the attackers – whoever they were – had already retreated again. Just when they rounded the last barrack and slowly approached the severely damaged mess a voice came out of the loudspeakers of the base and they all suddenly stood still, frozen in shock.

"_This is X5-451"_ The voice was cold and emotionless but they all recognized it. _"I have a message for the Swiss SRTU and the X5 unit two. We want X5-452 and X7-452. The rest of you are of no interest to us. X5-451, out!"_

"That's impossible!" Artemis whispered.

"Where is that coming from?" Kyla asked Ares and her voice was suddenly not calm and composed anymore; it sounded agitated and almost high-pitched. "Ares!"

"The command building" he answered and finally got out of his apparent state of shock. "The office of Major Seiler! Oh dammit! MOVE!"

And with that he started running towards the main building at the far end of the compound all the while shouting at the other Delta units over his radio to join him there. The X5s didn't hesitate a second and followed him immediately, all of them thinking the same:

Wolf was alive!

* * *

**Okay, not my best cliffhanger but I'm warming up.**

**As I said: Logan returns in the next chapter and there will also be talk about Max old unit.**

**And some other stuff I had on mind for quite some time.**

**And I promise I'll try to update until next Saturday!**

**By the way:**

**ETA=Estimated time of arrival**

**Sitrep=Situation report**

**And yes, motivation is still needed. See that review button? Yes? Click! Please!!!**


	13. Going Home

Okay, I know late again. But only one day, I'm getting better!

**452max:** Thanks again for the review. Okay, you'll see what Max has to do in this chapter and most of all what Wolf is doing, hope you'll like it!

**cappsy:** Thanks to you, too. M/A? You're gonna see some in this chapter but as always those two just can't do something the easy way. You'll see what I mean ;) Don't worry, I'll bring them together in the end. About the X7s: I always thought it would have been interesting to go deeper into the relationship between the older and the younger x-series, most of all after Max had been shot by her own clone. I know it's rather unusual but I just like to find out for myself what I would want a younger Max to be. Hope that doesn't bother you.

* * *

They ran towards the building as fast as they could but Artemis already knew they would be too late. She could see the command building had already been taken by the unknown attackers; most of the windows were shattered, there was smoke coming from inside the house and she couldn't hear any sounds of a battle coming from the headquarters of the base. Suddenly the door opened and a group of enemy soldiers left the house. Immediately they fired at the approaching Deltas, forcing the Swiss soldiers to take cover, all the while running towards their vehicles. The transgenics didn't hesitate to return the fire but they were still too far away and didn't hit.

Artemis spotted one of their enemies who had fallen a little bit behind the others. She only had an assault rifle with her, not a sniper rifle as she was used to. Nevertheless she took aim and forced her body to relax; her breathing became calm, she didn't focus on anything else but the black clad man she had her sights on. She shut out the noise around her, the shouting and shooting, she didn't smell the stench of blood and smoke. Slowly, almost carefully she increased the pressure on the trigger of her weapon and when she heard the shot and felt the recoil of her weapon she already knew she'd hit. The man cried out and fell to the ground, grasping his left thigh.

Immediately his comrades stopped and wanted to return and help him but now at least three dozen transgenic soldiers closed in on them from three directions and after a brief moment of hesitation they continued running and got into their Humvees, leaving their injured soldier behind. Seconds later they drove away, heading for the destroyed gate. The Deltas and X5s kept shooting but vehicles seemed to be armored, at least it seemed like none of the transgenics' fire did any damage. When the Humvees were gone Ares started running towards the building again and approached the screaming enemy soldier rapidly. When he reached him Artemis could see how hard he had to restrain himself not to shoot the man immediately.

While the rest of the Deltas entered the house the X5s gathered around the wounded man, staring down at him in cold hatred and disgust.

They knew him.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Blade spoke out loud what they all were thinking.

"You know him?" Ares asked surprised.

"He's one of Renfro's PsyOps guards!" Jondy spat angrily.

"He's Manticore?"

"Sort of!" Kyla snorted. Ares looked at her in confusion; that was not the answer he'd expected. Before he could ask any more questions however one of the Deltas appeared and called him.

"Ares" the black-haired woman sounded distressed. "You better get in here!"

"Coming" he answered. "Havoc, Jondy: Watch him!"

He then entered the house followed by the rest of the X5s.

"What is it, Jazi?" he asked the other Delta but she just shook her head.

"Second floor, the office of Major Seiler" she replied and suddenly she sounded like she was going to cry. They didn't waste any time after that and practically blurred up the stairs until they reached the first floor. Several Deltas were already waiting for them in what had probably been the outer office of the base's commanding officer. The traces of the battle were all too evident and it looked like the Swiss soldiers had put up one hell of a fight. Blade could tell there had been explosions – probably from grenades – and everywhere she could see bullet holes in the walls and the furniture. Three Swiss soldiers – not transgenics but ordinaries – were lying on the floor, dead.

"What is it?" Ares asked again, addressing a Delta in the rank of a Sergeant. The young man breathed heavily.

"In Seiler's office" he replied quietly. Ares nodded and turned towards the office of the base commander but the Sergeant held him back. "Ares, it's bad."

For a moment the leader of the Swiss transgenics hesitated but he could see he would not gain any more information from his man. He just nodded again and finally entered the office. Blade, Max and Havoc followed him.

The room was completely destroyed. The windows were shattered, everywhere they could see the smashed pieces of furniture and Blade recognized at least three places were grenades had exploded. And there was blood, lots of it. Most of it on the floor, forming small pools, but also on the walls. She could see four bodies. One was dressed in the duty uniform of a Major – probably Major Seiler, the commanding officer of Echo base – the others wore grey sweaters and pants, much like the ones she remembered from her childhood at Manticore. They were Echo soldiers, she suddenly realized. The first one, a young boy, was lying on his back right next to the door. His sweater was drenched in blood and his open eyes stared at the ceiling lifelessly. The second seemed to be a boy, too. He was lying face down in the far corner of the room and she could see injuries all over him; he had probably been taken out by a grenade. The last one was a girl. She was lying half atop of her Major, right behind the partly destroyed desk. The man was lying on his back as well – sidearm still in his hand – and had his eyes closed while the girl had her left arm wrapped around his waist and her head was resting on his chest. Like the first Echo her sweater was drenched in blood and Artemis could see she had several broken bones. It didn't take a genius to figure out the girl had tried to protect her commanding officer. She had probably fought for him until the end.

Nobody said a word; they didn't even dare to make a sound. They all knew transgenics were destined to be soldiers but seeing those teenage Echos dead on the floor was a shock for all of them. Suddenly Ares moaned and stumbled and Blade barely caught him before he could fall. She held him for a few moments until he had regained his composure. The Asian X5 could feel his pain but she could only imagine how he truly felt; the Echos were to him what the X6s and X7s were to her and to the rest of the X5s.

"Easy" she whispered, all the while still holding him. He pressed his lips together and breathed heavily while his eyes went from one unmoving body to another. Finally he nodded and turned towards the Delta Sergeant who was now standing in the doorframe.

"How many, Zeb?" he wanted to know. Blade looked at him in confusion. What did he mean?

"We found six more guards in the other rooms" The Sergeant – Zeb – replied. "And…and four Echos as well."

For a second Blade thought Ares would lose it but he kept his composure but she cringed when she sensed a new wave of pain and agony coming from him. Of course, the Echo soldiers wouldn't have waited in their CO's office to defend him, there had to be more in the rest of the building who had died trying to fight back.

"Secure the perimeter and tend to the wounded!" When Ares gave his orders the Asian X5 almost shuddered. She had never heard so much coldness in his voice. "And contact Fortress Delta, we need medevacs and more personnel, most of all medics. I'll try to find one of Seiler's officers, if there is still one alive."

"Got it!" Zeb nodded and left the room, apparently glad he got away from the dead bodies of his younger siblings.

"Let's get out!" Ares said and together with the X5s they made their way down the stairs and out of the building. Once outside Ares marched straight towards Havoc and Jondy who was bandaging the wounded enemy. Without a word he grabbed her by the neck and yanked her away from her patient, ignoring her complaining shouts. He then knelt down, pressing his knee right on the wound of his enemy causing him to cry out in pain.

"Who sent you here?" Ares snarled at the PsyOps guard but the man was either too frightened to answer or was determined not to talk. In a fluent move the Delta drew his sidearm and held it against the man's throat. "I said: Who sent you here? Who gave the order for the attack? Speak or I kill you right now!"

"Ares!" Kyla intervened. "Don't! We need him alive!"

"For what?" he growled his eyes never leaving the ordinary's frightened face. "This bastard probably killed some of the kids in there!"

Before Kyla could reply another Delta appeared and whispered something into Ares' ear too quietly for the X5s to understand. Ares looked at his fellow soldier first in surprise and then in shock before he glanced at the X5s who were standing around him. He finally nodded and got up, turning away from the wounded PsyOps guard but not holstering his gun. He walked a few steps until he stopped and turned towards the waiting X5s. Blade watched him carefully and she didn't like what she saw.

"Lay down your weapons!" he ordered calmly.

"What?" Max asked as bewildered as her siblings all felt.

"You heard me!" Now his voice wasn't calm anymore but almost threatening. "Lay down your weapons, now!"

"Ares, what's going on?" Kyla wanted to know. She glanced around and she didn't like it at all when she saw how many Delta soldiers were standing all around them, weapons ready.

"You are under arrest!" Ares snarled through gritted teeth. "Lay down your weapons. If you resist, we will kill you. Lay them down, now!"

The X5s had moved unconsciously towards each other and formed a circle, back to back. But they didn't dare to raise their weapons when they saw the numbers of Deltas who had surrounded them. The Swiss soldiers looked at them grimly and when she looked into their eyes Jondy had no doubt they would shoot them at the slightest provocation.

"Kyla?" Havoc asked, his voice almost as calm as always, "What are we doing?"

Max watched the Deltas nervously. What the hell was going on? What had they done? She knew they would never make it out of this alive. They were surrounded and outnumbered and had been taken by complete surprise. Even if they tried to fight back she doubted she would even be able to draw her gun.

"Lay down your weapons!" Kyla finally ordered her siblings. Perhaps this was all just a big misunderstanding. Or at least she hoped it was.

One after the other the X5s carefully laid their weapons onto the ground. After that everything happened very quickly; the Deltas grabbed them and threw them onto the concrete ground. Roughly their hands were tied behind their backs and after that they were forced to stand up again and shoved towards where the Cougar helicopters were waiting.

The X5s didn't say a word and neither did the Deltas. When Blade looked at them she could see anger in their eyes, anger who was directed at her and her siblings and she didn't understand it at all. What had they done?

When she was roughly lifted into one of the Cougars she caught a glimpse of Ares; he was staring at her but instead of pure anger she could also see confusion and shame in his eyes. The helicopter took off and from the radio traffic she could hear they were flying towards Fortress Delta again.

The Asian X5 tried to relax and find out what was happening. First the Swiss were attacked, as it seemed by Renfro's men, and then they heard Wolf's voice again and now she was a prisoner of people she thought trusted her. There was only one question in her head now and the longer she thought about it she wanted it answered.

What the hell was going on?

When they arrived at Fortress Delta they were escorted to the Briefing Room where Alec and Lydecker together with the three other Manticore black ops were already waiting for them, heavily guarded as well. The Deltas undid their restraints but didn't leave the room;

"What's going on?" Alec wanted to know. "They won't tell us anything. Max, are you okay?"

Max looked at him feeling grateful for his concern but she could only shake her head.

"I don't know. Their secondary base was attacked and suddenly they arrested us. I have no idea why."

"Oh, I can tell you why!" Colonel Meyer stormed into the room. "Sit down!"

"Chris" Lydecker tried. "What's going on? Why are you doing this?"

"I said: Sit down!" the Swiss officer ordered them again. When they didn't obey he narrowed his eyes at them, clearly not in the mood to play games. As a matter of fact he looked at them as if they were enemies. "I won't tell you again."

After a brief moment Lydecker nodded and one after the other the Manticore soldiers took a seat.

"This" Meyer spat, "is why!"

The big screen behind him came to live and they could see the footage which had probably been taken from a surveillance camera in Major Seiler's office. It showed how the three Echo soldiers and their commanding officer died at the hands of their attackers. They way they moved it was clear they were Alliance soldiers, all of them enhanced. The transgenics didn't stand a chance. After the Alliance had secured the room suddenly three other men entered; two were PsyOps guards – one of them was the one Artemis had wounded – and the third…was Wolf.

The X5s gasped when they recognized their CO and Kyla and Max stood up, staring in shock at the screen. He seemed to be healthy and well.

"He's alive!" Kyla whispered sounding awestruck. "He really is alive!"

Sure they had all heard his voice out of the loudspeakers but they had thought it was just another trick. But now they had the proof; he really was alive.

He looked around for a few moments until his eyes found the camera. He stared directly at it and repeated the same message they all had heard already.

"_This is X5-451. I have a message for the Swiss SRTU and the X5 unit two. We want X5-452 and X7-452. The rest of you are of no interest to us. X5-451, out!"_

He then turned away and at that moment the screen froze before zooming in on his neck.

"This is why!" Meyer said again barely controlling his anger. "You recognize that barcode, don't you? I will only ask you this once, Deck! Why the hell is one of your soldiers – who was supposed to be dead, by the way – working with the Alliance?"

"I have no idea" Lydecker replied quietly. "They probably got him out of the Strasbourg base before the French shut it down."

"That was not my question!" the Swiss officer almost shouted. "Why is he working with them? I have dead guards and Echos, Deck, teenagers who were not at all prepared for such an attack! I have a dead base commander! And I have one of your X5s who is apparently working with them and I want to know why!"

"PsyOps" Havoc answered for his commander. Kyla and the rest of his siblings were still quite shocked and Lydecker and Coleman didn't look any better. He had always been a quick thinker and a very calm and composed soldier so he came up with the only possible answer first. "He was probably brainwashed."

"Yeah, right!" Meyer snorted. "Within five weeks? Do you think I'm stupid? You've been trained to withstand any sort of brainwashing. Five weeks would never have been enough to break him!"

"Usually I would agree with you but PsyOps has very specialized procedures" Havoc informed him.

"What is that whole PsyOps-thing anyway?" Ares wanted to know. He couldn't really believe the X5s were betraying them but he had seen the footage himself. It was Wolf and he was working with the enemy. Nevertheless he tried to avoid Blade's gaze.

Lydecker sighed deeply and then started to tell Meyer and the present Deltas about PsyOps, their mission and their procedures. The longer he talked the more unbelieving the Swiss became. When he had ended Meyer shook his head.

"You want to tell me you did those things to your soldiers?"

"Yes, we did."

"How goddamned stupid are you!" Meyer hissed and looked at his friend with a mixture of anger and disgust. "You can't force a soldier to follow your orders, at least not for very long. He must believe in his mission and his cause, I thought you knew that!"

"Well, it worked on Brin, Jondy and Max" Lydecker informed him but couldn't help and feel bad once again for what had been done to his kids.

"And I can assure you it only worked because deep down they always believed in their mission; to protect and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. What you are telling me is in my eyes not only inhuman and grotesque it is also the worst strategic fault I've ever heard of! You can't force a soldier to fight, you must make him understand! Goddammit what were you doing in Manticore? Were you all a bunch of crazy lunatics or just the worst crowd of sadists the world has ever seen?"

Nobody said a word after that for several minutes and Max was intensely thinking about what Meyer had said. Could that really be true? Had she always believed that as a soldier it was her duty to fight for others and to protect them? It sounded insane at first but the more she thought about it she had to consider that maybe there was some truth in those words.

"With all due respect, Colonel" Kyla finally spoke up, "but I know you have an installation very similar to PsyOps here on this base. I saw it when Wolf and I were here the first time?"

"What are you talking about?" Meyer growled at her. "I'm not torturing my soldiers for my own personal pleasure!"

"I think she's talking about the Interrogation Training Room" Ares offered. "She saw it before we went on the mission to Italy."

Meyer looked from Kyla to Ares and then back to her and suddenly snorted. "What you saw was a training room. The Deltas train in there to withstand interrogation in case of capture. But this has nothing to do with your PsyOps. First of all they are not physically injured and second: Every soldier decides himself when the session ends. I would say that's a small difference to your little chamber of horrors, isn't it? But that doesn't answer the other question: Why were they able to turn X5-451 within five weeks? Assuming he has been turned and didn't work with them all the time!"

"That's ludicrous!" Kyla hissed. "He would never work with them out of his free will!"

"Then tell me why!" the CO of Fortress Delta insisted. "I have to know what's going to happen next. After all he already sold out Echo Base."

"No, he didn't" Max objected quietly. In an instant the eyes of Meyer and all Deltas were on her. "He couldn't. You never talked about a secondary base or a younger generation of transgenics. Today we heard about this the first time when we were already on the Cougar."

"Is that true?" Meyer asked Ares.

"It's possible" the Delta soldier agreed with slight hesitation. "I'll check it with the other platoons."

"Do that" the Swiss Colonel agreed and sighed. "Again: Why only five weeks?"

"There has been some talk about some kind of new procedure" Lydecker mused. "That has been right before Renfro lost control over PsyOps the first time. I don't know exactly what they were up to but every time she talked about it she seemed like a child on Christmas Eve. Perhaps they tried that new method and succeeded."

"Can you prove that?"

"Of course not, I'm just guessing. But I am absolutely sure Wolf would never betray us; he would rather die than work with Renfro and the Alliance."

"But again there is no proof, or is there?"

"No, there isn't. But I just know."

"The problem is I can't just trust your gut to be right, Deck, you know that" Meyer sighed.

"Yeah" Lydecker nodded sadly. "Unfortunately I know. But this is all I can give you at the moment."

"Very well. I honestly don't know if you're telling me the truth but I hope you do. Nevertheless you are under arrest as from this moment. Your quarters are being searched as we speak and any kind of weapon will be removed. Until I am convinced none of you is working with them you are allowed to move freely within your section of this Fortress but if you want to leave it you will be accompanied all the time by my Deltas, am I clear?"

"So we're prisoners" Lydecker summarized with a faint smile.

"What the hell would you do if you were in my situation? I have no choice!"

"What about the man Artemis wounded?" Max asked.

"He's under arrest as well but he doesn't talk yet."

"Give me one hour and he'll not only talk but sing!" Ares growled.

"I need him alive for now" Meyer shot him a brief and warning glance, "so you'll stay away from him!"

"Sir" Kyla said forcefully. "We can't just leave Wolf with them. We have to get him out!"

"We sure as hell won't attack a base on American soil, 301, which is most probably where they gonna bring him" Meyer informed her sharply. "And after all if he was brainwashed he has already given them all the information he had."

"But there is information he can't share with them. He knows how we work, most of all how we would react in different situations. His instincts, his experience…he can only share that with Renfro when he sees what we're doing, not any sooner. As long as he is there we won't be able to operate. We have to get him out, sir!"

"You're not gonna leave this Fortress for some time so that won't be a problem. And now this discussion is over! Stay here until my men escort you to your quarters. And now you have to excuse me, I have a whole base defense to reorganize!"

He left the room and Kyla slumped back in her chair with a defeated and desperate sigh. Her siblings could only look at her in compassion. They all wanted to bring their brother back home so desperately now that they knew he was alive. How much more painful had it to be for her?

* * *

Several hours later Blade woke up when the man beside her started to stir and mumbled quietly in his native tongue. He had slipped into her quarters some hours after the debriefing and had started to apologize for what had happened at the Echo Base and what Meyer had done but she quickly silenced him; she knew the Deltas and their old Colonel didn't have a choice. They were just doing their duty.

His murmur became louder now but although she had learned some words of his language by now she didn't understand him very well yet but again and again she caught the name 'Wolf' and the word which meant 'duty'. When he started to tremble in his sleep she decided it was enough; he was having a nightmare and she wouldn't let him suffer.

"Wake up!" she whispered and touched him gently. He opened his eyes with a start and sat up immediately. "Whoa, easy! It's just me!"

Even in the relative darkness in her room she could see how he relaxed when he recognized her voice and after a few seconds he lay back down.

"Sorry" he said quietly, "Why did you wake me up?"

"You were talking in your sleep" the Asian X5 replied while the fingers of her left hand gently caressed his cheek. "I thought you were having a nightmare."

"What did I say?"

"I didn't understand all of it. You were talking about Wolf and about duty."

"Did I?" He didn't sound really surprised. "Well, what a coincidence. What time is it?"

"A little bit after two a.m."

"Well, I guess we should wake up the others then." He moved to get up but she held him back.

"Are you still sure you want to do it?"

"Blade, we talked about this. He has saved my life twice; I owe him."

"I understand that" she agreed but couldn't hide her worry. "It's just…you want to go against Manticore! I don't know if this is a good idea."

"Hey, don't worry. We won't attack them. I talked about this with the Colonel. We will only do recon and as soon as we have something valuable we will contact you."

"He should send the whole unit" she said stubbornly.

"He can't" he reminded her. "If he sends all of you the Alliance will know you're not at Fortress Delta anymore. I bet they are watching the Fortress right now."

"I don't like it."

He sighed and moved closer again until their faces were only inches apart.

"I will be careful" he assured her. "Trust me, nothing's gonna happen. We'll be safe."

"Right" she snorted and looked away from him to hide the incertitude in her eyes. "I bet Wolf said something similar to Kyla before they got him."

"Blade, look at me!" After a few seconds she did and suddenly she could see something in his eyes she had never seen before. It was a mixture of concern, slight worry but also warmth and most of all love of a calm intensity she had not expected from him. Sure, they had been lovers for some time now and she trusted him with her life. Until now they had not told the others although Blade was quite sure they already knew. Damned feline DNA! It just made all of them much too curious and perceptive. But still never before she had seen him look at her this open, this innocent, showing her his love so genuinely and she couldn't help but feel happy right then. He smiled when he saw the change in her behavior. "We'll be alright and we'll call you as soon as we can, okay?"

"Okay" she finally agreed with a sigh.

"Good. Then you should go wake up the others. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay" she said again and they both got up and got dressed. Just when he opened the door to leave her quarters she suddenly grabbed him out of instinct. She placed her hand on the back of his neck and brought her lips to his. At first he was surprised but quickly relaxed and responded to her soft touch. Her hand slipped under his shirt and caressed over the soft skin of his chest. When they finally broke the kiss she still held him close and her head was resting against his chest.

"Promise me you'll be careful!" She knew she was acting childish. Only some months ago she wouldn't have dreamed of ever doing what she was doing now but that had been before she had met this man and had fallen in love with him. It was a wonderful feeling and at the same time it still scared her sometimes.

"I will be" he assured her once again and totally serious. She kept him in her embrace for a few more moments and then reluctantly let him go. After a brief moment of comfortable silence he nodded at her and they left the room. She turned towards her siblings' rooms and he walked away to their rec room.

"Wait!" she suddenly called after him. He turned around and gave her a questioning look. She hesitated for a second until she smiled almost timidly. "I love you, Ares!

He relaxed and smiled as well.

"I love you too, Blade."

* * *

"I hope you have a very good reason for waking me up this early" Alec grumbled when he entered the rec room a few minutes later. The rest of unit two was already there as was Ares.

"We have, trust me!" Blade assured him.

"Well" Nova began, "What is it?"

"I talked to Meyer" Ares explained, "and he agrees with Kyla. Leaving Wolf in the hands of the enemy is a big risk, too big in his eyes. Unfortunately his superiors have forbidden him to take any further action against the Alliance so we have to do this very quietly. If we get caught there will be no backup, no help."

"So he's sending us" Jondy assumed. "When are we leaving?"

"You won't leave!" Ares shook his head. "If you all leave Fortress Delta now the Alliance will now something's up. We're pretty sure their watching our moves as they know where we are now."

"Then why did you wake us up if we won't go!" Alec demanded to know groggily. His lack of shark DNA was really bugging him sometimes.

"I didn't say all of you have to stay here" the Delta soldier corrected him and then looked at two of the X5s. "Max, Kyla, if you still want to get Wolf out of there now is the time. What do you say?"

"I'm in" Kyla said without hesitation and Max nodded affirmatively.

"Wait a minute!" Alec objected. Suddenly he was fully awake. "You want to go against them only with Max and Kyla? Are you crazy?"

"No, I'm not. The Alliance is watching us and if they don't see some of you from time to time outside the Fortress, doing some physical training for example, they will know another commando has been sent against them. Now Max here would usually be locked away after what Wolf said today at the Echo base and Kyla…" Ares trailed off and looked at the shorthaired X5.

"I'll most probably be emotionally destroyed after I saw him work for our enemies" Kyla finished his sentence with a mean grin. "Yeah, that really sounds like one of Renfro's plans."

"I see you understand" Ares said with a smile before he turned towards the rest of the team. "Meyer authorized this mission but only the three of us can go, the rest of you have to stay. We will do some recon around Manticore until we find out how we can get Wolf out and after that we will call you before we strike."

"That's a stupid plan!" Alec growled and jumped up.

"You should be glad Meyer authorized it" Ares warned him. "He takes a really big risk. If anybody finds out about this he'll be removed from his post and most probably put behind bars."

"How are you gonna do this? You'll need more men!"

"I know where we can find them" Max suddenly said. She had remained silent until now but she was already thinking about how they would be able to do this.

"You can't be serious!" Alec exclaimed. "This is a stupid plan, Max, and you know it!"

"I've seen worse."

"I can't let you do this!"

"What? Alec, have you lost your…"

"Shut up!" Kyla suddenly hissed. "Both of you! Ares is right, it's the only way!"

"If you want to go, fine!" Alec spat, "but I won't let Max go on a suicide mission!"

"Stand down, Alec, or I make you!" Kyla warned him in a dangerously low voice.

"This is not just your decision, Kyla, we all have to say something in this matter!" Alec moved between his commanding officer and Max and if Max hadn't been so confused over his actions she would most probably have hit him right then and there. Why did he do that?

"We are here to preserve democracy" Kyla reminded him slowly, "not to practice it."

"I won't let you take Max with you!"

"Alec, I swear to the gods, if you don't stop this immediately I will seriously hurt you!" Max growled threateningly and he turned around to look at her. "I make my own decisions, got it?"

"This is a stupid plan, Max" he tried to persuade her again. "I know you want to get your brother out of there and the gods know I agree with you but this is just too dangerous, even for you! We have to come up with something else."

"You won't stop me!"

"Oh, you watch…"

Before he could finish his sentence Ares suddenly appeared behind him and wrapped his arms around the X5s neck.

"I'm too old for this crap!" the Delta growled annoyed and tightened his grip. Alec tried to escape and hit the Swiss transgenic but Ares pressed down onto his carotid arteries and after about ten seconds the male X5 suddenly stopped moving and passed out. They didn't have the time to deal with Alec's irrational behavior although Ares was quite sure why he was acting like that.

"Don't hurt him!" Max said tensely.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. Nova, take him!"

The blond medic was at his side in a second and took care of Alec. After a few moments she nodded reassuringly at Max. The rest of the team had jumped up as soon as Ares had attacked their sibling but they didn't know what to do. Now they were looking from Kyla to Max and Ares.

"Are you really sure you want to do this?" Jondy finally asked.

Without a word the three transgenics nodded. For about a minute nobody said anything.

"Well" Brin finally said and took a step forward. "What do you need?"

The small figure which had been hiding behind the ventilation shaft in total silence grinned and made her decision. She would certainly not stay behind! Not this time!

Twenty minutes later two X5s and one Delta were running through the woods away from Fortress Delta and towards the nearest valley. They knew they had to be quick because as soon as Alec woke up or Lydecker found out about their plan nobody could predict what would happen. Their enhanced eyesight proved to be very useful once again as they were able to move forward just as rapidly as if it had been bright daylight.

Ares looked back one last time at what had been his home since he could remember. His siblings where there, his commanding officer and his instructors. And Blade.

He didn't know when he had fallen in love with the Asian X5 but he knew he truly and deeply loved her and leaving her here was hard although they had talked about it and she had agreed. He was asking himself if love was supposed to be so complicated and glanced at Kyla. Perhaps he would ask her one day. With a sigh he turned around and continued running, the two X5s right behind him.

None of them noticed the small figure which followed them at some distance.

* * *

Two days later Logan Cale checked his e-mails and found a message from Max. It read.

_Hello, Logan_

_I'm sorry I have to contact you like this but things are complicated right now._

_I will call you as soon as I can._

_We are coming to you._

_Please contact my prodigal siblings, I'd like to meet them again, it's important and I need their help._

_We'll be with you in about two weeks._

_Thank you, Logan!_

_Max_

"Something interesting?" Bling asked.

"You could say that!" Logan answered with a sigh.

"What happened?" Immediately Bling was on high alert. "Somebody died?"

"Worse!" Logan growled. He had so hoped that wouldn't happen again. Nevertheless he picked up the phone and dialed a number he knew by heart. On the one hand he was full of joy Max was finally coming back but on the other hand he had to call _him_. When the automatic message on the other end had ended he left the message for the man he absolutely didn't want to ask for help. "Hey Zack, it's Logan. I need your help. Please call!"

He hung up and shot the grinning Bling a warning look. "What?"

"You're asking Zack for help?"

"I don't" Logan denied and nodded towards the computer. "It's Max."

"She's coming home?"

"Yes" Logan nodded and suddenly felt a happy smile appear on his face. "Yes, she's coming home."

"Finally!" Bling said and smiled as well. "It was about time! Okay, what can I do?"

* * *

**So, that's it, they're leaving.**

**I know the part with Alec was quite short, there will be a longer one in the next chapter and you'll also see Lydecker's reaction.**

**And you know now that there will be more of Logan and the rest of the '09ers, you just have to be a little bit patient (don't you always have to with me ;) )**

**Review please!**


	14. Infiltration

**Okay, where do I start. Ah yeah, I know: SORRY! I know it has been an eternity since I updated this story and yes I know it has been mostly my fault.**

**I won't go into the details. Well, the first month I couldn't do much about it (work is work, after all) but the second one I just kept chewing on this chapter for days and weeks. Don't know why but somehow I just didn't like it and couldn't do any progress. I already know what's gonna happen for the next four or five chapters but this one just didn't want to get finished. I got a little reminder from Alan Grey (thanks again, by the way) to update if possible and, w****ell, somehow I finally finished it and here it is. I apologize for the long wait and hope some of you guys are still out there and reading this!**

**452max:**Thanks again. You're probably right about Alec, I didn't pay enough attention, I guess. He'll get some sort of small compensation in this chapter and I will make sure in the future he'll get to act more like the alpha he is. By the way, that's what I like about constructive criticism; the author gets a warning from his readers when he gets too carried away, thanks for that! Well, here's the update, I hope you like it and you're still out there.

**Divine Fighter:** You're right, the '09ers meeting with Ares could be interesting, especially for Zack (no, I don't really like him!). They will definitely show up in the next chapters and I'm thinking about keeping some of them for a little while, Zane perhaps, but I'm not sure yet. Hope you're still out there and thanks to you, too.

**cappsy: **Thanks to you, too, cappsy. Yes, Nova and Havoc are gonna get some time, but not yet, but thanks for reminding me. First of all I have to get Max and Kyla into the US and somehow the rest of their unit will have to deal with it. Don't know exactly how I'm gonna work this out with Alec but we'll see. Anyway, thanks again and I hope you're gonna review again.

Okay, as I said, I am terribly sorry for letting you wait this long but I really will try to update more regularly in the future. I hope you can forgive me and read and review.

Here's chapter 14: Infiltration

* * *

The skies were cloudy, not a star to be seen and the light would never have been enough for any human being to move any quicker than at a very slow and careful pace. But the three dark figures running through the pitch black forests weren't human. Ares was had taken point right after they had left Fortress Delta, Max was in the middle and Kyla had taken the rear. Without making a sound the three transgenic soldiers ran as fast as they could away from what had always been home for the Delta soldier and had become sort of a home for the two young women.

They were approaching the valley after about half an hour of running and although transgenic Max felt her heart rate was at a much higher rate than usual. Mentally she made a note to herself not to run through the mountain forests with Kyla and Ares again, most of all not at night. They were moving quickly, only stopping for a few seconds to make sure they were no enemies waiting for them. In addition they had only taken with them what they absolutely needed; civilian clothing, a knife, a gun and several reserve clips for each of them. Everything else they would have to 'borrow' if they came to need it. Not that this would be a problem.

The three transgenics stopped to take a short break, standing back to back, watching their environments and listening to the nocturnal noises around them. Max appreciated the short break although her thoughts travelled back to Fortress Delta and her siblings much to her discomfort. They were truly alone now; sure, they had lost their home when they fled from Manticore but they still had each other, they had always been a unit. Now they were leaving and no one would be there for them if things went south. They wouldn't even be able to call for help if necessary and somehow although Kyla and Ares were with her Max felt utterly alone without her family to rely on. Now the three of them were truly deserters, not only in Manticore's eyes but also in the eyes of their siblings and the Colonel. Now they were truly fallen ones.

Max winced when she thought about Lydecker. She had talked to him before they had left and the look in his eyes when she had told him…she still was confused and she needed time to think about what had happened. But all too soon Kyla grew impatient and signaled her two companions to get moving again and although Max had to suppress an annoyed groan she knew the older X5 was right; by now Alec would most certainly have woken up again and if she was right – and she certainly was – he was already trying to come after them. She still didn't know why he had acted so strange when they had told the rest of their family they were going to leave but she felt he would not waste any time to find them.

'_Oh, come on, it's not Kyla or Ares he wants to have back'_ a tiny and quite annoying voice taunted her in her head. _'But you know that already, don't you?'_

'_Shut up!'_ she growled silently and then stood up and followed Ares while Kyla took the rear of their small group. _'And why would he come after us anyway? Kyla's orders were clear!'_

'_And you think he will listen to her?'_ She could have sworn she heard a mocking laughter. _'Oh, girl, you still have a lot to learn about men in love!'_

'_We're not like that!'_ she mentally screamed. _'I mean…we haven't even kissed or something!'_

'_Oh, so you would like that, hm?'_ If possible the voice sounded even more taunting now.

'_Why don't you just…wait a minute! Am I arguing with myself?'_

'_I'm just telling you the truth.'_

'_Fine, whatever, now shut up!'_

Suddenly Max noticed a movement in front of her and if not for her inhumanly fast reflexes she would've run into Ares who – for whatever reason – had suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

'Why stop?' she silently signaled a little bit annoyed she had let herself get distracted so easily and she tried to ignore the inquiring glance Kyla shot her; of course the older X5 had noticed her small near-mishap.

'Contact' the Swiss soldier replied in the same way and pointed towards where they had been coming from. 'Listen.'

Max frowned and concentrated for a few seconds and until she heard it; a slight and distant rusting of dry leaves. Somebody was following them and whoever it was he or she knew how to move through a forest at night without making a sound which most certainly meant it was a transgenic. It couldn't be Alec, though. Even if he had woken up much earlier than she would have thought he wouldn't have been able to follow them so quickly. So it was probably one of the other X5s. A look towards Kyla told her that her friend and Manticore sibling had come to the same conclusion as the black-haired woman frowned and stared into the darkness with an angry expression on her face and Max could understand her very well; they really did not have the time for this now.

Still they had to stop whoever it was and send him – or her – back to Fortress Delta. A look at Kyla told Max the person in question would most certainly have a black eye in the morning as the older woman was clearly angry now. She suppressed a mean grin and slipped behind a tree to wait for their uninvited pursuer; Kyla and Ares did the same. Just as a matter of safety they also readied their guns if it wasn't a transgenic but an Alliance scout coming after them.

For several minutes she didn't move a muscle, forced herself to breath calmly. Finally she even closed her eyes and only relied on her sense of hearing. She felt the bitter cold of the night and she could practically smell that it was about to snow for the first time this year. Yeah, winter was definitely coming and for a split second she almost felt glad they were leaving; she hated the cold although she had been trained to withstand it ever since she could remember.

The person following them moved slowly now, cautiously, perhaps expecting the trap already. Nevertheless Max couldn't help but grin to herself when she could hear – almost feel – their victim coming closer. She waited for a few more seconds until she sensed Kyla and Ares were ready as well; then suddenly she jumped up without warning, raising her weapon.

The next second she froze in shock and disbelief and almost dropped her gun.

"And they say _I_ had a problem with discipline at that age!" Ares said with bitter irony while holstering his sidearm.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Kyla's voice was but a mere whisper but everybody could hear how close she was to exploding.

"I was following you." Neither Kara's voice nor her composure showed any sign of anxiousness. The X7 looked at her older siblings with an almost calm curiosity as if there was nothing wrong with sneaking out of Fortress Delta and following them without an order.

"Really!" Kyla snorted and holstered her weapon as well. "Well done! Now go back to where you came from!"

"I will not" the small girl replied calmly but with confidence.

"What?" After the first surprise had worn off Kyla looked almost relaxed again but now she looked at the young transgenic not only surprised but also a little bit curious. Although it was more the curiousness of a snake watching its prey.

"I said I will not" Kara replied still very calm but a little bit less confident with the three older soldiers staring at her.

"X7-452" Kyla began slowly switching into her command mode. "I'm giving you a direct order: Go back to Fortress Delta, now!"

"I will not do that, Kyla!" Kara's brown eyes looked at the older woman defiantly but with a brief flicker of anxiety in her eyes. "I'm coming with you."

"What do you think you are doing?" Max hissed, finally overcoming her first surprise and shock. "This is not a game, Kara! Go back immediately!"

"Or what?" the little girl retorted with a sad smile. "You're gonna drag me back to the Colonel and report my insubordination? It's a little bit too late for that. By now Alec has certainly woken up and if he or the Colonel finds you they will make all of us stay here."

"How do you know about Alec?" Ares suddenly wanted to know. He was watching the three Manticore females with a sudden and strange interest while constantly scanning their surroundings. They couldn't stay here for much longer, they had to move.

"Let's just say somebody my size fits very well into those ventilation shafts." That answer got her a small nod and an approving smile from the only male in the group. Kara smiled back before she returned her attention to an angry and disbelieving Max and an expressionless Kyla.

"You're not coming with us!" Max insisted.

"Why not?"

"Because it's…"

"Don't you tell me it is too dangerous!" the girl interrupted her suddenly sounding very angry. "If you have already forgotten I've been trained to do this all my life, Max!"

"You are no match for an Alliance soldier!"

"Then you will have to make sure I won't get in a full confrontation with one."

"Kara…" Max sighed frustrated but her younger twin didn't let her finish.

"No, Max, no! I will come with you, whether you like it or not! You can try to get rid of me which would mean I would have to follow you on my own or you can accept it as a fact and take me with you!"

"You're not ready" Max tried again. She knew her younger self had always hated it when the X5s left to fight while she had to stay at the Fortress but although being an X7 the girl was just not strong enough yet.

"And I will never be if I always have to stay behind." Suddenly the angry and stubborn look in Kara's eyes changed.

"Don't be stupid, Kara! You wouldn't last a minute against one of them."

"I didn't say I want to attack them. But I could do recon for example. Nobody would ever suspect a small girl like me being part of a transgenic commando."

"I can't allow it, Kara!" Max insisted although she already knew this would get her nowhere. Kara had already defied Kyla and she most certainly would not obey her know.

"Max, please!" Kara's voice suddenly sounded helpless, despaired. "Kyla…he's my brother, too."

Hearing the pleading tone in her voice made the three adult soldiers look at that small girl with sudden compassion and Max finally understood why her twin was so desperate to be on this mission; it was not just because a fellow X-soldier was somewhere out there and needed their help or because Kara wanted to prove herself. Just like for Max Wolf was more to the X7 than just another Manticore sibling. He really was their blood. They were related on a genetic level and although she didn't fully understand it she knew and felt it meant much more than Renfro and the other scientists would ever understand. It meant he was family, it meant they had to do whatever it took to protect him. Max sighed heavily and knelt down in front of the young girl.

"We will bring him back, Kara" she assured her. "I promise you we will bring him back."

"But I…"

"Stop it! Both of you!" Kyla suddenly snarled and unlike before the barely contained anger and impatience in her voice silenced the younger transgenic who looked at her with sudden timidity, the bravery she had displayed minutes ago gone. The black-haired woman looked first at Max and then at Kara and suddenly her eyes softened a little bit. "Okay."

"What?" Max and Kara said in unison, the first one in disbelief the other sounding utterly happy although surprised.

"Kyla" Max began after a second of shock. "You can't really be thinking about taking her with us!"

"Not that loud!" Ares snarled quietly but loud enough for all of them to hear. They still didn't know for sure if there were Alliance soldiers somewhere around watching Fortress Delta or not but if this was going to be some sort of dramatic family trouble they would certainly find out all too soon. The three X-soldiers shot him brief glances and lowered their voices.

"I'm not thinking about it, Max, I'm doing it." Kyla spoke with calm confidence.

"She's a kid!"

"Right. So were we once."

"We cannot…"

"What we cannot do, Max" Kyla interrupted her and took a step towards the younger X5, "is this: We cannot send her back now because we don't know if the Alliance is watching us right now and I will not risk sending a lone X7 right into their hands. We cannot bring her back to the Fortress either as your precious Alec is certainly moving heaven and earth already to find us."

"Alec is not…" Max objected but once again Kyla silenced her.

"And what we certainly cannot do is to start questioning our chain of command. We decided to remain a military unit after we fled from Manticore. Duty, discipline, mission. We decided to remain loyal to those words we have used as the backbone of our entire lives. Now there are only two things you can do, Max. You can back down and go back to Fortress Delta or you can accept that Kara is not a child anymore – nor has she ever really been one – and that we can very well use her help on this mission. You know that's true!"

Max stared at the other woman, lips pressed firmly together and hands clenched into fists. She knew that from her point of view as a soldier Kyla was perfectly right but when she cast a brief look at her younger twin all she could see was a young girl who wouldn't stand a chance – X7 or not – if she got caught in the line of fire. But Kyla was right; they couldn't send Kara back on her own and they couldn't escort her back to the Fortress either or Lydecker would force them to stay, destroying the only chance to free Wolf. But what hurt her most was Kyla's comment about Kara never having been a child. Once again she was reminded that although sometimes compassionate and understanding Kyla was a soldier first. She suddenly felt like screaming at the top of her lungs out of frustration but of course she didn't. Finally she looked back at Kyla with a grim determination on her face.

"Promise me we will keep her safe, out of trouble."

"I'll make sure of that. At all cost" Kyla assured her with a sincerity that almost made Max shiver. She knew exactly what Kyla meant and she also knew the older transgenic was deadly serious. Finally she nodded in reluctant approval. Kyla turned towards Kara who was watching the exchange between her older siblings silently. She wasn't any happier than Max they had to take the small girl with them but from a tactical point of view – and that was her only point of view at the moment – they just didn't have another choice. She didn't like this at all and once opportunity would present itself she would have a long and serious talk with the X7. "To make one thing clear, Kara: That was the last time you ever disobeyed an order. If you ever do that again and I don't care under what circumstances I will tie you up and send you back to the Colonel in a postal package! Is that clear, soldier?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Kara almost snapped to attention before she remembered that she was not supposed to do that while in the field. To be honest she didn't know anymore how she had mustered the courage to defy an X5 – most of all Kyla – but she was glad she had done so.

"Fine!" Ares wanted to know impatiently. "Can we finally move out or do you want to wait for the rest of Fortress Delta to join our little party?"

Kyla growled warningly but the Delta soldier ignored her and took his position at the point of their small group again.

"I'm getting too old for this crap!" he muttered before starting to run again.

* * *

Donald Lydecker was walking towards his quarters slowly and so deep in thoughts he didn't even really notice the Delta soldier who followed him quietly like he had done it ever since Colonel Meyer had ordered that the guests from Manticore had to be escorted whenever they left their section of Fortress Delta – a section which was currently heavily guarded as well. Lydecker didn't blame his old friend for that; after the attack on the Swiss Echo-Base and Wolf's unexpected reappearance he would've done the very same.

Right now he was coming back from a short briefing with Meyer and things didn't look much better. He was glad that after the first shock and the rising suspicions he had been able to convince the old Swiss officer that they were not here to betray them and although still on high alert it seemed even the Delta soldiers had calmed down a little bit. Right now they were about to reorganize the defense of the fortress although Ares' had reported that really nobody had talked to unit two about it; there simply hadn't been a reason for that. Still it was a necessary security measure.

Officially they were still under arrest although Meyer had made it very clear this order came from higher up and not from him. They were allowed to stay at Fortress Delta for the time being but both old officers knew it was only a question of time until the Manticore soldiers would be asked to leave. If they wouldn't be definitely put behind bars for what Wolf had done after all.

Lydecker still could not really believe his boy worked together with Renfro after such a short amount of time but the evidence was overwhelming. He could only hope that they would find a way to get him out and undo whatever that witch had done to him.

Right now something else was on his mind, though. Before the briefing about half an hour ago Max had come to him and he'd had one of the most confusing conversations of his entire life.

"_X5-452 reporting, sir!" Max said tensely her eyes fixed on an invisible spot on the wall behind his back._

"_At ease, Max" he ordered calmly and was secretly glad to get a break from his paperwork. "What is it?"_

"_Sir, I wanted to talk to you about something that has been on my mind for some time now" she began hesitantly, her usually so confident charisma nowhere to be seen. "Some time ago I was on my way to the showers and when I came by Kyla's quarters I heard her cry."_

"_Is everything alright with her?" Lydecker wanted to know, suddenly on his feet._

"_Yes, sir, she's fine" Max assured him. "Like I said, it was some time ago, right after we thought Wolf had died."_

"_Yeah, she was in bad shape at that time" he agreed solemnly. "But I think she found her way back. Why are you telling me this, Max?"_

"_Well sir, you see…I first thought she was alone and wanted to go in there and help her as good as I could but I suddenly heard your voice as well although I couldn't understand what you were saying."_

_Lydecker looked at her for a few seconds with suddenly alert eyes until he nodded and encouraged her to continue._

"_Well sir, shortly after that you left her quarters and apparently, if I may say that, you were so in thoughts you didn't notice me." Max stopped and watched her commanding officer – the man she had feared and hated for the most part of her life until about a year ago – and she truly didn't know if this was a good idea after all. But she had been thinking about that incident almost permanently and she finally wanted to speak out loud what had been on her mind for quite some time now, most of all now that she together with Kyla and Ares would leave the fortress to find Wolf. She wouldn't tell him that, of course, but she felt he had a right to know about how she felt and to be honest she also hoped it would make her help finally finding out where her relationship to her new family was going. She made her decision and straightened up. "Sir, I heard how you called Kyla your child when you were outside her quarters. I didn't mean to eavesdrop; it was an accident, sir."_

_Lydecker inhaled sharply and she was almost sure he also paled a little bit._

"_I didn't know you were there" he began after a long and awkward silence. "If I had I would never have said that. I don't know what made me say it. I know that I have no right to think of any of you as my…children. After what I have done to you I…"_

"_Sir" Max suddenly interrupted him. "With all due respect, I don't think you understand. I didn't mean to say you did a wrong thing. I meant…I wanted…"_

_She trailed off and bit her lower lip. This had been a bad idea from the start. Sure, she remembered very well how much she had hated Colonel Donald Lydecker during all those years and how her feelings towards him had changed but she had also come to learn how much she didn't know about this man. She had discovered many new things about him during the last year but how could she be so arrogant to claim she knew all about him or how he would react to what she wanted to say._

"_I'm sorry, sir, this was a bad idea" she muttered. "I better go."_

"_Max" he held her back, "stay! What did you want to tell me?"_

_The beautiful X5 looked at her CO with incertitude and in the blink of an eye decided to switch tactics._

"_I just wanted to thank you for what you did for us, sir." It wasn't a lie, it was just not the whole truth. "I know it would've been much easier and less dangerous for you to just hand commando over to Renfro and I really am grateful you didn't. All of us are."_

"_Well, you're welcome" he replied with a small and somehow relieved smile. "It's what I had to do."_

"_Yes, sir" she nodded. "Permission to leave, sir?"_

"_Granted. I'll stop by the rec room later. Dismissed!"_

_Max saluted briefly and left without another word._

Lydecker shook his head and entered his office. He had a feeling Max had wanted to tell him something else but he wasn't sure. If he'd meet her in the rec room later he would ask her about it, he decided. Once inside his office and finally alone he groaned and stretched his tense muscles; he definitely wasn't a young man anymore he thought with sarcasm and took off his leather jacket.

When he noticed a sheet of paper on his desk he frowned and picked it up. He'd just had a briefing with Meyer and if there had been any more paperwork his friend would've told him. Quickly he realized this was not an official piece of paper when he recognized Max's even and clean handwriting. Suddenly feeling nervous he began to read:

_Colonel_

_I know you suspected that I had more to say earlier this evening and you were right but I was too uncertain of your reaction to speak out loud what was on my mind._

_I also know that what we're gonna do will disappoint you but I won't apologize; it's what we have to do._

Lydecker frowned. What was she up to?

_After I heard you call Kyla your child I was dumbstruck and I couldn't get those words off my mind. You and I know I hated you for many years for what you did to us when we were children and because you did not leave me alone after my escape. After my capture I began to understand your motives, though, and over the months in Manticore I started to respect you._

_When I saw how much you cared about us when we fled from Manticore this respect grew further but when I witnessed the incident outside Kyla's quarters I didn't really know what to think of it._

The old officer felt a small smile on his lips. Never would he have thought one of the former '09ers would ever say or write such a thing, least of all Max, but it felt good that apparently after all he had done wrong at least some things he did were not all that bad.

_Perhaps you can sense how difficult it is for me to write this; although I have been out there for a long time there are many things I don't really understand yet."_

Now he almost grinned and nodded silently, understanding very well how difficult it was for Max to express what she was feeling. He knew from his own experience that it was like that for most soldiers – transgenic or not.

_I just didn't feel like this ever before. I had a lot of time to think and I can only speak for myself but I witnessed you showing respect and deep care towards us although of course you tried to hide it. I just think you deserve to know that I think it would be a good thing to have somebody we can call father._

It took him a few seconds until he really realized what he was reading and then his hands suddenly started shaking; not only because of her words which hit him like a truck at full speed but also because he started to understand what she was up to. Hoping he wasn't right he continued reading.

_I know this is probably not what you expected and what we're going to do will be even more radical in your eyes but you have to remember that – at least in my opinion – sometimes a father has to trust his children are gonna be fine on their own. Wolf's last order was to keep fighting and to protect our family. We have to fight for him, too, because he is a part of this family._

_And in my eyes somehow so are you._

_I really hope I'll see you again._

_Take care of the others and of course of yourself!_

_Max_

He stared at the letter for another second and then he took off, storming out of his office and running towards unit two's rec room so fast the Delta soldier who had been assigned to him barely had time to jump out of his way. He ran as fast as he could, his heart was racing and by the time he arrived at his destination and he was out of breath although it was only about a hundred meters away from his office. Without hesitation he barged into the room, Max's letter still in his hand.

"Where is she!?" he shouted. "Where the hell is she?"

Unit two had been sitting in the rec room, most of them lost in their somber thoughts. Only Alec was lying on the couch, still unconscious from Ares' attack but it was now a question of minutes when he would wake up. When the Colonel rushed in they jumped to their feet and looked at their commanding officer with a mixture of surprise and slight anxiety. Donald Lydecker was panting heavily, his eyes were wide and he was as pale as a ghost. All of them were too astonished to reply immediately.

"Answer me, dammit!" Lydecker growled, faking anger to mask his growing fears. "Where is Max?"

"She's not here" Nova finally answered quietly.

"I can see that, soldier!" the older man spat and the blond medic flinched at his suddenly seething rage. This was not good. Havoc lay a hand on her shoulders, trying to reassure her.

"She left the fortress, Colonel" the explosives expert replied calmly and with the confidence he was so well known for.

"When?" It took Lydecker all of his self-control not to lose his temper but he knew he shouldn't take this out on the X5s.

"About forty minutes ago, sir."

"Then why the hell didn't you stop them?" Lydecker didn't need to explain what he was talking about; from their reactions he could tell they all knew exactly what was going on.

"We were ordered not to, sir." Jondy spoke without looking up from the floor and the old officer wasn't sure if it was sadness or self-disgust he heard in her voice.

"By whom?"

"Kyla."

At this he froze again and his eyes quickly scanned the room. Right, Kyla wasn't there either. He really had to calm down a little bit, he berated himself; usually he would've noticed this earlier.

"Ouch!" somebody moaned and they all turned towards Alec whose face was a grimace of pain. Slowly the brown-haired transgenic sat up and massaged his temples. "Okay, that hurts!"

"What happened to him?" Lydecker demanded to know.

"He didn't want to let Max go, so Ares knocked him out" Artemis explained.

"Max!" Alec gasped and jumped up, doing his best to ignore the painful headache. He so would kill that son of a… "I go after them!"

"No, you won't!" Blade suddenly stepped in and stopped him before he could reach the door.

"Get out of my way!" he warned her but she just shook her head.

"If Ares has gotten them out he also has instructed the guards not to let us come after them" she reminded him.

"And what are you now?" the male X5 sneered. "The personal expert for that jerk's behavior?"

He almost bit his tongue but it was too late to take those words back. Several of his siblings gasped quietly and shot him incredulous looks. They all knew there was something going on between Blade and Ares but they also respected their privacy and wouldn't talk about it, as long as they wouldn't bring it up themselves; least of all they would use their relationship to insult or hurt them which Alec had just done.

The Asian transgenic flinched slightly and her almond-shaped eyes darkened but she remained stoic.

"No, but I'm the one of us who is still able to think straight!" she bit back but then to everybody's surprise stepped aside. "You can try, but I warned you."

"Whatever!" Alec muttered and took another step towards the door when another person showed up and Alec stopped again and narrowed his eyes at her. "You!"

It was Delta-28 or Carol as she was called, the blond 2IC of Ares' platoon. She calmly stepped into the room and briefly looked at every X5 and the Colonel before her intense green eyes came to rest on Alec.

"Blade is right, you know" she began her voice calm but serious. "We won't let you out. Ares was quite clear about that."

"I was already wondering when you would show up!" Lydecker growled, finally beginning to realize this had been planned.

Brin watched the female Delta with heightened interest; she was wondering how much the blond woman had heard but it was clear that she had at least witnessed the last few sentences Alec and Blade had exchanged.

"This is none of your business, Carol" Alec reminded her as composed as he could but he felt how he became more and more nervous. With every second Max was getting farther away from them!

"All of this is my business, Alec" she retorted quickly. "Ares is my commanding officer and he ordered us to keep you here, if necessary by force."

A low growl escaped Alec's throat and he moved slightly towards the Swiss transgenic and his siblings readied themselves to hold him back if necessary. Maybe Alec wasn't as dangerous in a direct combat as Wolf, Blade or Kyla but they all knew if he wanted to he could do some serious damage. There was a reason he had been the unit's commander while Wolf and Kyla had been in the field.

Sure, Ares had taken him out quite quickly but he had surprised him and Alec was not a man who would let that happen twice.

And he was angry, very angry and while he probably didn't even notice that himself his siblings did and they were worried what would happen if he lost control as they could sense more Delta soldiers just outside the door.

Carol knew that as well and she took a step back and slightly raised her hands; not enough to provoke him further but enough to make it clear she was ready.

"Stand down" she ordered him quietly and when he didn't react immediately she shook her head warningly. "I know you're good, but you're not that good, Alec!"

Alec didn't show any sign he had heard her but he only continued to stare at her, calculating his chances to get past her and the other Deltas outside the room. It was risky, sure, but if he wanted to catch up with Max – and the others, of course – he had to act. Now. Suddenly somebody touched his arm and he glanced to his left and was met with Jondy's concerned stare. Max's sister didn't say anything but the look in her eyes and the small shake of her head were like a splash of cold water on his face; he wasn't the only one, he suddenly realized. Jondy wanted to go after her sister, too, probably as bad as he did but she didn't although it hurt her; she would stay here because she felt it was not her place to interfere with Max's decisions.

Alec didn't feel that way but he briefly nodded at the brown-haired X5 before he returned his attention to Carol.

"You have three minutes to give me a good reason not to go after them" he coldly informed the Delta, "After that I will go whether you try to stop me or not!"

"Fair enough" she smiled honestly but he could easily detect a mocking undertone in her voice. "They have left for an advance recon mission. They will find out where your CO is held, where the weak points of Manticore's defenses are and how an extraction would possibly have the highest chances of success. Once they have that intel they will contact us. Simple, isn't it?"

"And how are they supposed to do that?" he demanded to know. "Without a full team, backup, logistic support? Hell, how are they gonna get on US soil without being detected?"

"I don't know and if they haven't told you I guess they're not really sure about that either" Carol admitted nonchalantly. "But that's none of our problem. They're transgenic commando operators. They will improvise, find a way, make it up as they go."

Jondy snorted bitterly. Sure, she had respected her siblings' choice but the more she thought about it the more she felt like she should have held them back "That's about the worst mission briefing I've ever heard of. You should get your tactics checked! Why did nobody tell us?"

"Perhaps if we hadn't known all of you would allow your feelings to get in the way we would have. Perhaps if we hadn't known Alec would act like a lovesick schoolboy we would have" she informed them with a humorless grin. "Start acting like the soldiers you're supposed to be again and maybe you can sit at the table with the grown up people. This is not just your own personnel circumstance. I've got a brother out there now, too!"

"You goddamned…!" Jace began but now it was finally enough.

"Silence!" Lydecker barked. He had watched the whole scenario for a while and he all too well understood unit two was about to do something very stupid if he didn't put an end to this discussion. "This doesn't get us anywhere. They're gone and throwing insults at each other will not help any of them. We need to reassess the situation and once that is done I will decide our new course of action. Carol, I need to know about the mission specifics. I know why Max and Kyla are out there but I need to know the exact orders Ares received."

"I…will see what I can do, Colonel" the blond Delta nodded but nobody missed the short hesitation. She was not as calm and content as she tried to appear they all suddenly realized. Carol herself had already asked Ares who had authorized this mission; it was not every day that they sent operators into the United States and most of all now, right after the attack on Echo-Base she couldn't really believe their superiors would do such a thing. He had only asked her to trust him and told her that Meyer would inform them later. She didn't like it but she had known him her entire life and knew he would never betray her so she had accepted the short answer for the time being.

"Colonel" Jondy stepped in. "I know we let them go in the first place but I'm not sure about that anymore. They can't do this alone. Perhaps Alec is right and we should go after them."

"No, we don't." Everybody looked at Alec, most in surprise and some in disbelief as well. The male X5 had his eyes on the floor, his hands clenched into fists but he didn't look angry anymore but rather concerned and determined in a very strange and very dangerous way. "If the mission is to be a success the Alliance must not know we have operators out there, so we will stay here, show up from to time on the surface, making sure their observation posts see us so we can make them believe our whole unit is still here. That's the plan, right, Carol?"

"That's the plan" the Delta confirmed quietly what had already been said in this room before while watching him closely. Within a matter of seconds he had changed from an agitated and overly concerned teammate to a focused and composed leader. She did not make the mistake to believe he wasn't angry at her anymore but somehow she could feel he would put the needs of his unit before his own. For now.

"Good" he nodded briskly. "Then that's what we're gonna do for now. But if we don't hear from them in two weeks we'll go."

"Alec" Jondy interrupted. She knew he was right from a tactical point of view but the longer she thought about the whole thing the more worried she became. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"It's the best we can do for them now, Jondy" he sighed and suddenly they could see how his anger left him within the blink of an eye and they got a rare glimpse at how worried he was himself but it was gone only a second later. "Personally I would like to go after them right now but one; they're already too far away and we don't know their plan of action and two; if the Alliance suspects that there is another team of transgenics coming to Gilette they will hunt them down with everything they have. I'm sorry, but there is no other choice. I wish there was, believe me!"

Jondy stared at him in helpless anger for a few more seconds until she nodded stiffly and turned away.

"Two weeks, Carol" Alec reminded the Swiss transgenic once again. "Not a day more."

"Understood" she nodded and then turned towards Lydecker. "Sir, if you wish my men will escort you to Colonel Meyer, he can answer your questions better than I can."

"Oh, I'm sure he does!" the old officer muttered under his breath before leaving the room. Carol watched him and barely noticeable shook her head. This was a frigging mess! She looked at Blade and realized Alec was not the only one who was – if that was even possible – more worried about the rogue X5s than the others.

"Blade" she offered. "Care for a walk?"

The Asian X5 looked up, surprised at first but then nodded gratefully and together they left the room, leaving a group of worried and thoughtful X5s behind.

* * *

"Logan" Bling shouted from the living room where the new unofficial Eyes Only office was located for at the moment. "Incoming transmission!"

"Coming!" Logan was out of the kitchen and at his friend's side before the huge bodyguard could blink twice. Inwardly Bling grinned at that reaction; Logan had been anxiously waiting for a call from Max ever since he had received the message that she was coming home and that had been five days ago. Quickly Logan was on his favorite chair and typed in his password, then waited impatiently until the computer would have established the connection.

"Do you think it's her?"

"I hope so" Bling replied diplomatically, standing behind Logan with his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't want to get Logan's hopes up too high to be even more disappointed if it wasn't Max but one of his informants contacting him. That had happened three times now and the huge but calm man could tell it was getting on Logan's nerves slowly but surely.

"Ah, old pessimist" Logan reprimanded him jokingly. "Have some faith, will you?"

Bling smiled but before he could answer the connection was finally established and to both of their joy it wasn't one of Eyes Only's informants this time.

"Max!" Logan almost shouted. "Thank God! How are you?"

_"Hey Logan"_ she answered with a happy smile seeing her friends' reactions. _"I'm fine, thanks. Hey Bling, it's good to see you!"_

"Good to see you too, Max!" He had never been a man of many words but Max knew him well enough to see he was happy, too. She looked good, almost relaxed. She wore a light blue top and dark leather jacket and from what he could see on the screen she was currently in some kind of internet café.

"Where are you?" Logan wanted to know. "Already in the States?"

_"Gods, no"_ she sighed theatrically and rolled her eyes. _"It's not that easy for four super-soldiers on the run to get a ride into the land of opportunity."_

"Four?" Bling spoke up curiously. "Who else is coming with you?"

_"Ah, yes, sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I'm with Kyla"_ she began but stopped and gave Bling a very amused look and a mocking grin when she saw how he raised his eyebrows at hearing that name. _"What? You're still afraid of her?"_

"No way" the big man laughed, "I just hope she's gonna make a more civilized entrance than last time!"

_"I tell her to behave_" Max promised. _"Well, as I said there is Kyla and then there is also Ares and – before I forget – of course Kara as well."_

"Ares?" Logan asked a little bit confused. He had thought she had told him all the names of her teammates already. "Kara? Are they from your unit?"

_"Ah…right"_ she began slowly. _"I don't think it would be a good idea if I told you already. It's complicated."_

"Things usually are with you" Bling nodded with a small grin remembering all the times he had seen her in action.

_"Don't worry, you'll like them"_ she assured the two men and added with an almost devilish gleam in her eyes: _"Especially Kara."_

"Why do I already know I'm not gonna like this" Logan asked Bling over his shoulder.

_"Hey!"_ Max protested immediately, _"I heard that!"_

"Sorry" he grinned sheepishly and decided to change the topic. "Where are you?"

_"We're in Marseille at the moment but it looks like Ares is about to find us a way in. Perhaps three or four days and we'll be there. You're still in Seattle, right?"_

"Yeah, we are" Logan replied but didn't miss the brief flicker of worry in her eyes. "Hey, it's no problem, things are pretty calm over here right now."

_"Not even Renfro's after you?"_

"Not from what I know." He briefly thought about telling her about his new source but decided against it. She had enough on her mind already. "I'm almost bored."

_"Poor boy"_ she teased. _"Don't worry, I'll get you tons of work to do once we're there. By the way, have you reached any of the others yet?"_

"Yeah, they're already in town but they chose not to stay in our little hideout here. There were some…difficulties."

_"Like Zack being his usual charming self again?"_

"You could say that." The rest of the '09ers had arrived a few days after Logan had made contact with them over Zack's voicemail and although most of them were happy their sister was coming back they couldn't help feeling suspicious, too. Most of all Zack. It hadn't been easy to convince him to stay in Seattle until Max would make contact and with every day it became more difficult. Logan just hoped he would be satisfied now and really wait until they knew what this was all about.

_"Gods"_ she sighed, _"is he never gonna change? Well, whatever. I'll contact you as soon as we've landed. Any news on Manticore?"_

"The usual. Their network is very well protected so I couldn't find anything new. I could hack them of course but they could detect it."

_"Don't. We can't afford to warn them something's coming their way. Looks like we'll have to get our intel the old-fashioned way."_ She suddenly looked over her shoulder and nodded at somebody neither Bling nor Logan could see on the screen. _"Gotta blaze. Tell Zack and the others to be a little bit patient, you'll hear from us."_

"Max" Logan held her back as she stood up from her chair. "Be careful!"

_"Always"_ she smiled. _"Thank you, guys! See you soon."_

The connection was terminated and the screen went dark.

"Three or four days" Logan mused after a moment of silence.

"That's just about enough time to get supplies and do some planning" Bling summarized. He couldn't help it; he had been in the military and this – whether they liked it or not – was going to be a military operation and so he was thinking that way. "I'll inform Zack."

"You do that" Logan replied absentmindedly staring at the black monitor.

Bling stopped at hearing Logan's distraction and frowned. He didn't like what he saw. "Logan, do you still love her?"

Logan looked up a little bit surprised but then tried to smile reassuringly.

"Yes and no" he finally answered. "Don't worry, Bling, it's not like that. I still care about her but it isn't…it isn't like before, you know. In my eyes she's now like a…"

He trailed off, lost for words and Bling almost sighed in relief; so at least Logan's relationship with Max wouldn't be a problem.

"Like a little sister?" he offered his friend.

"Yeah, you could say that, I guess."

"Don't ever let her hear that!" the big bodyguard now laughed out loudly. "She may be like a little sister to you, but she could kick your ass from here to New York and back without breaking a sweat if she ever learns about it!"

Logan couldn't help but grin at the thought and finally joined his friend in his laughter.

"I guess you're right" he agreed after they had calmed down a little bit. They relaxed and after a short pause Logan nodded. "Thanks, Bling, I needed that."

"You're welcome" Bling chuckled. "Well, okay, I'm gonna make that phone call."

He left the room and Logan once again thought about how fortunate he was to have that man at his side. He shook his head as if to chase away distracting thoughts and turned towards his computer once again. He opened his mailbox and stared at the message he had received the previous evening. It was the sixth of this kind and slowly but surely Logan began to think the sender was not some sort of cunning ruse. Perhaps he should try and hack one of the military's old satellites to verify the information but he shook his head again silently deciding against it. He would wait for Max to arrive, perhaps she had another idea. Still the message was very special in many ways. It was not like the others Eyes Only received from his informants, not at all. And it came straight from a small town near Gilette, Wyoming. It read:

_Dear Mr Eyes Only_

_As I have seen you've probably ignored my last message. Again._

_If I didn't know better I might even feel a little bit insulted. No, don't worry, that's not the case and I understand a man in your position has to maintain his cover. And then again perhaps you've verified the truth of my information already and I didn't see you, we both know after all that you have allies who are very experienced in that field of work after all, don't we?_

_I will keep sending you information about our common enemy until it will not be possible anymore or you have taken the necessary steps against her; I really hope it will be the latter._

_Elizabeth Renfro will leave for a two day briefing in Washington DC in three days. Her convoy will leave the Manticore facility near Gilette at 0900. There will be twelve to fifteen guards and four vehicles; all of them lightly armored. She will be in the second one. As always X5-451 – would you prefer me to call him Wolf? – will be with her._

_I hope you will find this information useful._

_Have a nice day!_

_S_

* * *

"Ready?" Kyla asked when they left the internet café and found themselves on the streets of Marseille again.

"Yeah" Max nodded but couldn't help and look around suspiciously. She didn't remember much from her last time in this city but what she remembered wasn't good memories. "My old unit is already there and they expect us."

"Good" Kyla said shortly. At first she hadn't liked Max's idea of bringing the rest of the '09ers into this but she had to admit it was certainly a move Renfro would not expect. "Come on, Kara!"

The X7 looked at her in a way as if to say 'I'm the one waiting for you here' but joined them nonetheless without a word and they made their way to the restaurant near the harbor where they had agreed to meet with Ares once they had made contact with Logan Cale.

The Delta soldier was already waiting for them, sitting at a table with a young woman.

"You took your time" he greeted them nonchalantly.

"Traffic was heavy" Max just shrugged and sat down, earning a broad grin from Kyla and a quiet smile from the woman at the table. It was Sarah, the French SRTU soldier. She didn't know how Ares had been able to contact her but the fact that she was alone and in civilian clothing did not only make it clear that she trusted the Delta but it also meant this wasn't an official meeting. "Nice to meet you again, Sarah."

"Nice to meet you, too" the French transgenic replied kindly. "I'm glad you made it. Who's the kid?"

Max immediately sensed how her younger twin tensed a little bit and her mood changed from relaxed and slightly curious to annoyed. She placed a hand on the girls shoulder before she would say something stupid. The simple touch seemed to calm Kara already and she looked at her older sibling and nodded barely noticeable to show she understood and would remain quiet.

"That's Kara" Kyla answered the question. "Nothing to worry about, she's with us."

"X7" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure that's a good idea?

"Well, it was certainly not the plan but we can't send her back now." Kyla was still not happy Kara was with them although the girl's presence often made their situation somehow a little bit less depressing. Suddenly she had an idea. "Can't you keep her here until we have accomplished our mission?"

"Kyla!" Kara protested immediately but the look the older transgenic shot her silenced her immediately.

"Quiet, kid!" the shorthaired X5 snarled and both Max and Ares tensed, sensing yet another argument. Fortunately Sarah shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but that isn't possible. The French and the Swiss SRTU have almost no contact and I certainly can't just bring a Manticore X7 to our base. Officially I'm not even here."

"Well, it was worth a try" Kyla replied with a casual shrug; she had never really believed it would be a possibility.

"Ares told me you arrived this morning" Sarah continued after short pause, trying to change the subject. "How do you like my country?"

"It's beautiful. I could get used to it" Max answered honestly. It was true; she really liked it here. The Mediterranean environment was beautiful and Marseille was a huge city full of life.

"Yeah, the truck drivers are fun, too" Kyla added with wicked grin and Kara had to stifle a laugh.

Max couldn't help but grin at her friend's humor. It was true, ever since that incident Kyla had been in a slightly aggressive but all in all surprisingly good mood.

* * *

_They had made their way out of Switzerland as fast as possible, always fearing either the Swiss military, some of their siblings or units from the Alliance coming after them. Once they had crossed the border to France they were quite sure nobody was following them for the moment and they had slowed down a little bit and had started to hitch-hike their way from Geneva to Marseille. Usually that would not have been a problem with Max and Kyla both being very attractive young women – transgenic genes were useful sometimes – and Kara was getting better by the day in her innocent small girl act but together with Ares they were a group of four so usually only trucks would give them a lift._

_That hadn't been a problem at the beginning; most of the men were middle-aged and sometimes a little bit grumpy but all in all surprisingly kind in their own way. The one who had taken them into Marseille this morning had been another story, though. A bearded man in his late twenties with blond hair and kind of an aggressive attitude none of the transgenics had liked but they were in need for a ride so they had taken the offer._

_Once they had reached their destination – the outskirts of Marseille – and had stopped at a small motorway service area their driver had shown his true face; while Ares, Max and Kara had stretched their legs besides the truck he had said that 'it was time to pay up'. Kyla had nodded and offered him some of the money they had stolen on their journey but he just shook his head. When Kyla had asked what the problem was he suddenly grabbed her. Max still did not really know what had happened afterwards as Kyla didn't go into the details but suddenly she had heard the noise of a fight, some shouts of pain and then the man was sent flying through the windshield and fell to the ground where he remained in a fetal position amongst the shattered glass, bleeding from several small cuts and clearly in horrible pain._

_Kyla had stepped down from the truck ever so slowly; her eyes fixed on the moaning driver and filled with pure rage and cold disgust._

"_He will live" she finally said. She got aware of Kara who was staring at her with anxiety in her eyes. The small girl had learned much about the outside world but many things were still incomprehensible and confusing to her so sometimes her mood changed from carefree to aggressive or even intimidated in a matter of seconds. Kyla's eyes softened a little bit in understanding as she remembered very well how big and sometimes scaring the world had been to her at that age. "Don't worry, kid, I'm okay."_

"_What happened?" Ares demanded to know. They couldn't afford to attract attention after all._

"_I didn't like the price he demanded" the black-haired woman replied and turned away from her victim. Ares frowned but suddenly his eyes lit up in understanding. He growled lowly and took a step towards the injured man but Kyla held him back. "Don't, he isn't worth it and he already got what he deserved. Let's go, the center of Marseille is within walking distance."_

"_You're sure you're okay?" Max had asked carefully. Kyla had once told her about one of her first missions which had gone horribly wrong and somehow she felt Kyla was thinking about exactly the same thing at the moment; she just wanted to make sure her sister wouldn't suddenly lose it._

"_I am" Kyla assured them. "Just needed to make him understand that I don't like to be touched. I think he got the message. You did, didn't you?"_

_The only answer she got was another pained moan and the X5 grinned in grim satisfaction._

"_That's right! Come, let's go!"_

* * *

Max understood very well why Kyla had almost always a small smile tucking at the edge of her lips ever since that incident and why the mischievous gleam in her eyes had returned. She had been silently worrying about Wolf all the way from the Swiss Alps to the South of France and there had been little to do during their journey so that truck driver had been a welcome distraction from her somber thoughts and to vent her anger on him a little bit; it possibly even helped her to better concentrate again. At least that was what Max hoped.

However, after that they had moved into the city and Ares had made contact with Sarah while Max decided she would have to contact Logan now. They had agreed to meet at the port and so here they were, five transgenics, one of them a child and all of them all too aware of the fact that they were in more than just big trouble if the French armed forces, the police or – gods forbid – the Alliance would spot them now.

Nevertheless they looked relaxed, talking to each other as if they were old friends or perhaps tourists enjoying the view.

"Had a little encounter with an unfriendly civilian, I see" Sarah assumed correctly and grinned as well. "Don't worry about it, it happens these days. By the way; I'm glad to finally meet you, Kyla. I understand you had some troubles after your mate was supposed to have been killed."

'Mate?' Max thought a little bit surprised and secretly glanced at the older X5. 'Now that's an interesting expression!'

"Thank you. But I will feel way better once we have gotten him back" Kyla replied, her smile gone but her eyes still looking kindly at the French transgenic. She decided the time for small talk was over. "About that; you found a way to get us to the US?"

"Right, let's do business" Sarah nodded. "I've found a way, but it will not be easy. I can only provide the intel, the rest will be up to you. If you get caught I've never met you."

"We understand" Max assured her but somehow the look the French transgenic gave her indicated that she suspected these American transgenics did not understand at all. Maybe there was something they really didn't know yet, Max thought but wasn't given time to ponder about that.

"Very well." Sarah straightened up a little bit and continued. "There is a Boeing 737 at the civilian airport outside this city which will leave for the Seattle/Tacoma International Airport tonight. It's a strictly civilian flight so you won't have to worry too much about security. I guess you don't want to board as official passengers, right?"

"Rather not" was Ares' short reply.

"Thought so. Try to hide in the cargo compartment. If you can get in there undetected I think you'll make it into the US without anybody noticing."

"How long would we have to stay in there?" Max wanted to know.

"Well, the flight takes about twelve hours and you have to be inside the aircraft some time before takeoff. My guess: About fourteen or fifteen hours."

"Doesn't sound too bad" Kyla agreed thoughtfully. "Where's the catch?"

"Well, if anybody sees you and reports it to the authorities you can be sure your Manticore friends will already be waiting for you when you're landing. So; don't get caught!"

"We won't" Ares reassured the French soldier and then shot an inquiring glance at Max and Kyla. "What do you think?"

"We can make it" Max replied after a short pause. "Airport security shouldn't be a problem and Renfro does not have enough men wait for us everywhere. If we're lucky she still thinks we're at Fortress Delta. Tacoma is close enough to Seattle to make it into the city without being seen in short time. I doubt the Sector Police has gotten any better since we we've been there last time."

"I agree" Kyla nodded again. "And we don't have much time left. The longer we stay here the bigger the risk some Alliance spy spots us. We should do it."

Ares nodded absentmindedly, analyzing the pros and cons for himself. When he didn't say anything for about half a minute Kara grew impatient.

"What's there to think about?" she asked rather agitated. She felt left out and like any other child her age she didn't like that at all. "We can do it, can't we?"

The four older transgenics looked at her and smiled; that kid certainly was something special. Finally Ares nodded.

"Yeah, we can do it." He turned towards Sarah. "When does that plane leave?"

"2317, runway five" she replied and handed him a small note. "That's the timetable of the perimeter security. They have dogs and detectors, so watch out and don't be late."

She stood up and briefly looked at the four Manticore soldiers.

"I better get going now, if I stay away too long my CO could grow suspicious. Good luck to all of you." She laid her hand on Ares shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. "Be careful!"

"We will be" he assured her. "Thank you, Sarah!"

She nodded briskly and left without another word.

"What was that about, Ares?" Kyla wanted to know with an almost mocking undertone once she was sure the French transgenic was out of earshot. "Does Blade have a rival?"

"We go way back" he explained shortly. "I served with her during the war."

"Whatever" Max interrupted before Kyla could say anything else, sensing he didn't want to go into the details. "What are we gonna do now?"

"I don't know about you, but I could use something to eat. No way to tell when we'll be able to get a decent meal the next time."

"That's the first reasonable thing I've heard from any of you this whole day" Kara growled, glad the 'adult discussion' was finally over.

Ares and Kyla exchanged glances and as if on cue looked at Max.

"What?" the former '09er exclaimed. "It's not my fault she always speaks her mind!"

"Yeah, right" Kyla snorted and Ares couldn't help but grin broadly. "Whatever, let's get something to eat, I'm starving!"

* * *

Hours later a Boeing 737 took off from the Marseille Airport and took direction towards the west. A lone soldier stood in the darkness of the night near the airport and watched the plane ascending and finally disappearing in the distance. There had been no alarm and no sign that they had been detected and so most possibly her old friend and his companions had made it into the aircraft without being noticed. Sarah sighed and turned around to make her way back to the base of her unit. She really wished she could have done more but this was the way a soldier had to act; obey orders and try not to get caught if you have to bend some rules.

She didn't like it but while she marched through the warm night she couldn't help but feel that whatever Ares and the Manticore transgenics would do she would hear about it soon enough.

* * *

**Okay, that's it. Took me a long time but I think things will be going a little bit smoother from now on.**

**As for the story I think you'll get to see the '09ers in the next chapter and perhaps a plan to free Wolf will be presented. Perhaps.**

**However, as long as it took me, I would be happy if some of you guys are still out there.**

**You know it, reviews are life, right?**


	15. When it rains, it pours

**Hey, so many of you still here? I really am glad you haven't all forgotten about me already *gg* Well, thanks a lot for your reviews again, you're awesome!**

**cappsy:** You'll get more about Sarah later, but I will not forget her. About Max being too PG; you're right and I'm really sorry you won't get too much of her in this chapter either. On the other hand I can assure you she will be on top of her game again once they meet the rest of the '09ers. Thanks again!

**Divine Fighter:** Thanks to you, too. Yes, I'm finally back and I'm glad you're still here! Glad you liked the part with Lydecker, I still have to see what's gonna happen when he and Max will meet next time. Well, later. I thought about letting them meet with the '09ers in this chapter but that would've meant I would've let you wait for the update at least another five or six days, so I decided to post this one already. The family reunion will be in the next chapter, big promise!!!!

**452max:** hehe, yes, I know Alec could be the leader of the unit – sort of has been many times already – and I'm planning something for him but you'll have to wait and see. You'll get more about him during the next chapters. Thanks to you, too.

**Angel:** Welcome on board! Glad you like the story and as I said, I will try to update more regularly. As I've told Divine Fighter already I decided to post this update before I had it fully finished which means you'll get to see the '09ers in the next update. I hope you can forgive me *grins sheepishly* Thanks a lot!!

**nattylovesu:** There you are! Nice to have you back! Well, I'm not always sure myself where I'm going with my characters so if you have any suggestions or remarks, don't hesitate to let me know! Anyway thanks a lot to you, too!

**Unknown reviewer:** Well, whoever you are, thank you for your review, too. I intend to keep the small scenes between just the transgenics up, glad you like it. Same for you, if you have suggestions or remarks, just tell me.

**Okay, here you go. Last chapter before they reach Seattle**

* * *

"I know that from a tactical point of view I made a mistake" Kara sighed. She had dreaded this conversation ever since she had caught up with the three older transgenics but during their journey to Marseille there never had been the occasion to talk about her unauthorized actions so somehow she had began to hope that talk would never take place. Well, apparently she had been wrong; as soon as they had boarded the plane and were hidden from curious glances in the cargo compartment Kyla had taken her aside while Max and Ares had gone to guard the access hatch and had started to lecture her about her reckless behavior. But she wasn't going to give up that easily. "But I just couldn't stay behind anymore. I've always watched you leaving Fortress Delta, going on missions and every time I knew that maybe you wouldn't make it back. Do you know what kind of feeling that is?"

"Of course I do!" Kyla assured the girl but her voice was stern. "And I understand why you wanted to come with us but that doesn't mean I approve. Kara, I know you want to fight, I know you have the need to be out in the field whenever other transgenics are there as well, well all do. But soldiers don't always get what they want; I'm pretty sure they you've been taught that! You've been trained just as well as we have been, maybe even better but physically you're no match against an Alliance commando and if we should run into them neither Max nor Ares nor I can look out for you."

"I know I can't fight them directly!" the X7 replied, "I never intended to. But I can do recon, tracking. I can go where the three of you can't, that must count for something, doesn't it?"

Kyla just continued to stare at her and said nothing and Kara began to feel uncomfortable being scrutinized by the calculating and slightly angry green eyes of the older transgenic.

"Kyla, why can't you understand? He's my brother! Not like the others of my unit; somehow they're my siblings, too, but he really is. He's me! Apart from the fact that I'm a girl and younger we're exactly the same! I just want to help and I couldn't stand it anymore being in that cavern and waiting for you never knowing what was going on, if some of you were hurt or if you were not coming back at all! You of all people should understand that! You defied the Colonel, too; even if this mission was authorized for Ares the Colonel certainly did not know anything about it or he wouldn't have let you and Max go. You're here because you want to free Wolf, nothing else, so why can't you understand?"

Kara's voice was a little bit high-pitched and she knew she didn't sound as calm and composed as she was supposed to be but Kyla's cold stare, her accusations, her apparent refusal to listen to her explanation and the thought the X5 would leave her behind in Seattle once they were there to go on the mission alone was at the same time making her angry, desperate and anxious. She stared at the older transgenic for a few more seconds, then shook her head viciously and turned away.

After a few seconds she could hear how Kyla stood up and approached her before kneeling down at her side but she refused to look up, too unsure of her own emotions.

"Look at me!" the X5 said surprisingly soft. When the young girl didn't move she placed a hand on Kara's shoulders and could feel the shudders that simple touch sent through her small body. "Kara, look at me!"

Finally, reluctantly the dark-haired girl did as she was told and her brown eyes met Kyla's green ones with a look which could only be described as one of total incertitude and plea. Kyla sighed and shook her head.

"Kara, it's not that I do not understand you. I know you want to help him and I'm sure he would appreciate that; I know I do. But we're X5s, we're older, stronger and we've so much more experience and we're just worried that something could happen to you now that you're here with us."

"Don't let me stay behind, Kyla" Kara demanded but her voice while composed was small. "I will do whatever you tell me, I will follow every order and I promise to stay out of trouble. I will do everything, just please don't leave me behind!"

Kyla couldn't help but feel guilty upon hearing that X7 – a small child but at the same time a soldier and a desperate sister – so desperately asking her to take her with them. Silently she cursed herself for this but finally she nodded.

"Of course we will take you with use, young one" the X5 said gently after a long moment of silence. At Kara's surprised glance she chuckled softly. "It' not like you're easy to get rid off anyway so better keep you close where I can keep an eye on you."

At this Kara smiled for the first time in hours and whispered: "Thank you!"

"You're welcome. But as I have said in the mountains: You will never again disobey an order." Kyla's voice had changed again into a more military tone. "If I, Ares or Max tell you to do something you will do it; no hesitation, no backtalk. You're a soldier, we're your superiors, that's the way it works, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Kara was quick to reply. All her life she and her fellow X7 had looked up to the X5s who they had been told to respect as superior officers and more experienced soldiers. She knew Kyla was right and she had every intention to live up to the older transgenic's expectation. To be allowed to go with them was all she needed. At this Kyla smiled quietly and nodded approvingly.

"I see you two finally found some common ground" Max suddenly spoke out from behind them, watching them with a small grin. "Who would have thought?"

"She definitely is as stubborn as you" Kyla retorted. "My shift?"

"It is. Nothing happened so far, I think nobody's coming down here during the flight. I told Ares you would be with him in a few minutes."

"On my way" Kyla sighed and got up. Guarding a closed access hatch the next few hours was definitely not very high on her like-to-do list but it had to be done. "Get some sleep, Max. See you later, kiddo!"

Kara's eyes darkened and her lips curled up into a snarl but Kyla disappeared around the corner before she could do or say anything.

"She knows I hate it when you're calling me that, right?" she wanted to know from Max.

"Why do you think she keeps doing it?" her older twin replied grinning. She was sitting on the metal floor, leaning against a wooden crate with her eyes closed. Suddenly she grimaced and a low groan escaped her throat.

"What is it?" Kara asked somewhat alerted. Max opened her eyes and shook her head.

"Nothing, just a cramp. Sitting below a stairwell and watching that hatch is not as comfortable as it sounds." She smiled reassuringly and Kara relaxed but not entirely; she could tell Max wasn't telling her the whole truth and she could also smell her twin sister was more uncomfortable than she would admit it. Max closed her eyes again, trying to get at least some rest before they would arrive at their destination.

Kara watched her older self silently and she could sense Max wasn't at ease at all. She looked tense, strained. Was that the kind of pre-operation nervousness she had heard the X5s and the instructors back in Manticore talking about? She didn't feel anything like that, then why should Max who was more experienced, knew much better than her what risk they were taking and what could happen to them if they failed. Kara didn't know what was going on inside her older twin but she suddenly felt the urge to help her relax so but after a few minutes she got up and went over to her sister and sat down at her side, snuggling up against her.

"What are you doing?" Max murmured tiredly without opening her eyes.

"Relax" Kara whispered while putting her tiny arm around Max's waist.

Max didn't respond but after a few seconds she slung her arm around Kara's shoulders and actually the young girl could feel her relax a little bit; not completely but it was better than nothing and after a few minutes the calm and even breathing of her big sister told the X7 Max had fallen asleep.

* * *

"This is boring!" Kyla finally voiced her thoughts after half an hour of sitting in the half-darkness behind some crates and staring at the closed hatch. To her left Ares chuckled quietly.

"We're soldiers" he whispered light-heartedly. "We're not supposed to feel bored, remember?"

"Right!" she replied with sarcasm in her voice. "Although to be correct I'm not a soldier anymore, you know; I deserted!"

"Guess you can explain that to Lydecker once we get back." Despite the heavy weight of his words he sounded amused and Kyla couldn't help but grin. Then she remembered something she had wanted to ask him ever since they had left Fortress Delta.

"How about you, by the way? Are you AWOL as well?"

"Not a chance in hell!" he answered. "I kind of convinced Meyer to let me go on this mission."

"What does 'kind of' mean?"

He looked at her for a few seconds until he shook his head, grinning broadly. Then he told her and once she had wrapped her mind around what he was saying her eyes grew wide and she stared at him in disbelief.

"You didn't do that!" she hissed. "That's over the top, even for you!"

"Believe it or not, the Old Man allowed me to go after that" he laughed.

"Gods, sometimes I wished my life would be that easy!" she growled.

"Hey, watch your mouth, X5!" he reprimanded her with mock annoyance. "I'm kind of spending my vacation in a cargo bay together with three Manticore transgenics!"

"Don't be such a wuss! You know you love us!" He still grinned but suddenly she could see how his whole demeanor changed from carefree and relaxed to very thoughtful and almost melancholic and she bit her lower lip.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that" she apologized. After a moment of hesitation she added: "Do you miss her?"

"Is it so obvious?"

"Sort of, yeah. Actually the two of you were never that much cagey about it."

He chuckled again, but softer this time. "No, I guess we weren't."

After that they remained in silence for a few minutes, both of them occupied with their own thoughts until Kyla spoke up again: "Well? Do you miss her?"

"Do you miss Wolf?"

She mentally rolled her eyes. That was such a typical thing to do for a man, answering a question with another question.

"Of course I miss him!"

He didn't reply immediately but stared at the closed hatch for a long time, deep in thoughts. Finally he lowered his eyes to the floor.

"I miss her, too" he admitted in a whisper so low Kyla wouldn't have heard it if she weren't transgenic. He suddenly looked at her and she could see incertitude and a slight sadness in his eyes. "Do you believe this could work after all? You and Wolf, me and Blade? We're all soldiers, warriors. Born to fight, bred to kill."

"That we are" the black-haired X5 agreed seriously. She knew exactly what he was thinking about; she was having the same fears and doubts sometimes but she had learned not to listen to them too much. Most of the time, at least. "But we're also much more. I have seen how my unit has changed over the years, how we started to think and care about each other as a family. And I have seen and sensed how you care about your fellow Deltas very much the same. On the battlefield we're soldiers, yes, but back home we're friends, siblings and some of us even are lovers. Don't worry, Ares, if the two of you want it to happen, it will happen."

He smiled thankfully and nodded, looking much more confident than before.

"Is it always that complicated?" he wanted to know.

"You have no idea!" she laughed silently, glad he was more relaxed again.

Before he could answer anything they heard somebody approaching them from where they had left Max and Kyla and turned around simultaneously just when Kara appeared out of the darkness. The X7 looked upset and both older transgenics immediately knew something was not right.

"Something's wrong with Max" Kara spoke hastily and obviously quite unsettled. No more words were needed; Ares and Kyla were on their feet in the blink of an eye and followed Kara back to where she had left Max. This left the hatch unguarded for the moment but that was a risk they were willing to take; it was highly unlikely somebody would come down here after all and even if somebody would they would most likely notice it early enough to hide. At least that was what they hoped.

When rounded the last crate Kyla gasped as soon as she got aware of Max's form on the floor. The young woman was shivering and convulsing, cold sweat covered her face, her hands were clenched into fists, her eyes were half closed and small sounds of pain escaped her lips from time to time. Immediately the three transgenics were at her side.

"Max!" Kyla gasped, worried to the core, "what happened?"

"Stupid Manticore happened" Max hissed through gritted teeth, trying to remain calm but failing miserably.

"What's going on?" Ares wanted to know, careful not to touch the X5 yet; too well he remembered what had happened to Delta-94 when Max had gone into Heat.

"She has the shakes" Kyla mumbled.

"What? I thought Manticore has cured all of you!"

"Not permanently, it seems" the shorthaired X5 snarled angrily and gently touched Max's forehead. "Gods, she's burning!"

Suddenly another extremely fierce fit of seizures tore through Max's body and she started to rock back and forth violently.

"Hold her!" Kyla commanded, "or she's gonna hurt herself!"

Without asking questions Ares lay down behind Max and wrapped his arms around her upper body, pressing her body against his and trying immobilizing her as good as he could without hurting her. Max clenched her teeth as hard as she could to keep herself from screaming for about twenty seconds until she suddenly went limp in his arms; but she knew the next seizures were about to come soon. And they hurt! It was much worse than ever before.

"What can we do?" Ares asked Kyla without loosening his grip; if they didn't watch out Max could accidentally hit her head against the floor and transgenic or not; they all could sustain brain damage.

Kyla bit her lower lip so hard she could smell her own blood while frantically analyzing their options. They had been told the seizures had been cured, that none of them would ever again suffer from them but apparently somebody had messed up. Back in Manticore and at Fortress Delta they had always taken tryptophan, mixed in their food, but it had always been only a security measure, something they had all considered unnecessary. That's why they hadn't taken any tryptophan with them when they had left the fortress and that's what made it even worse; after such a long time on a constant dose of tryptophan and without a single seizure Max was having shakes much more violent – and more dangerous – than usual, her high body temperature was more than enough proof for that. Giving her condition they didn't have much time anymore before Max would lose consciousness and then fall into a coma. They needed tryptophan! Now!

"Stay here!" she told Ares and got up. "Kara, you're with me!"

"What are you gonna do?" Ares wanted to know.

"We'll get something to help her. And if I have to I'm gonna hijack this damned plane!" Kyla growled angrily but wasn't able to mask her worries. She shot a last concerned glance at Max who wasn't fully conscious anymore already before she turned on her heel. "Come on, Kara, we have to hurry!"

The girl briefly shared a look with Ares and he nodded at her reassuringly before she left, then he was left alone with a slightly trembling and feverish Max. After about another half minute her whole body suddenly tensed again and without warning she reared up in his arms and it cost him all his strength to keep her pressed against him but he didn't let go for this time it was clear she had lost the control over her body and would most certainly have hurt herself one way or the other. She moaned in pain but didn't scream, though, and he sensed she did her best to regain control again.

'Tough girl' he thought with a strange sense of pride, a feeling he usually only experience with his fellow Deltas. Finally she calmed down and her body went almost limp again although she kept trembling and quivering nonstop.

"Alec" she moaned barely conscious, acting more and more incoherently, "m…make i…it s…s…stop!"

He grimaced in sympathy when he heard the pain and desperation in her voice and once again he could only wonder what the scientists at Manticore were thinking when they'd treated the X-series in such an insufficient way.

"Alec!" she tried again and he could hear the rising panic in her voice when she felt another fit of seizures approaching. "Pl…please!"

"I'm not Alec, Max" he whispered against her neck although he was quite sure she didn't even understand him anymore. Being so close to her allowed him to read her feverish body's reactions much more accurately than usually and it pained him he couldn't do anything else than preventing her from hurting herself and trying to comfort her with his presence. "It'll be okay."

While she tensed up again and he felt the seizures shaking and tormenting her he wondered where Kyla and Kara had gone. Whatever the black-haired X5 had in mind she'd better hurry up; he could already feel how Max grew weaker and weaker by the second.

* * *

"I won't say I won't do it" Kara said after Kyla had explained her plan once they had reached the hatch, "I said I would follow orders, after all, but just for the record: That's a crazy plan!"

"Do you have a better idea?" the X5 growled impatiently and when the girl didn't answer she nodded with grim satisfaction and eyed the X7. Kara hadn't cut her hair in some time and nobody would have suspected she'd had a military haircut for most of her life; except for the serious look on her face one would easily be fooled into thinking of her as a normal girl. She smirked; if only they knew! "Didn't think so. We don't have time to proceed any slower and I would raise much more suspicion than you do, so just go up there and do it!"

"Understood!" Kara nodded and opened the hatch. Before she could close it Kyla held her back.

"Remember: Always try to look cute" she grinned.

"Very funny" the X7 growled and closed the hatch again a little bit more forcefully than it would have been necessary. She sighed inwardly at how Kyla seemingly couldn't stop teasing her before she made her way towards the stairs that would lead her up to the passengers. She could already hear them, smell them, sense them. There were many of them, too many for her to take on alone but if Kyla's plan worked she wouldn't have to, she reminded herself.

Once she had reached the cabin she had to hide behind a small curtain when a flight attendant walked past her and out of instinct she held her breath until the woman was gone. Forcing herself to look relaxed she pushed past the curtain and suddenly found herself amongst a bunch of people unknown to her; some of them seemed to be reading, some listened to music, very few were looking out of the small windows into the dark night and most of them were asleep. Kara couldn't help but grin; this was going to be easy! She sniffed and almost immediately knew where she had to go. She walked down the aisle towards the cockpit, careful not to draw any attention; she was just a small and cute girl after all.

'Cute!' she thought with sarcasm and her brown eyes darkened a little bit but the expression on her face remained as it was; the perfect mixture of slight excitement and tiredness. 'Right. Cute my small transgenic ass!'

One day Kyla and the others would pay for their teasing, she decided, but right know she had to focus on her mission. She made it to the small galley, listened intensely and had to hold back a curse; somebody was in there, as far as she could tell at least two people. Okay, maybe this wasn't going to be that easy after all; stealing what she needed was out of question now. She reevaluated her situation and came to a decision within less than two seconds before she gently knocked at the door. From inside she could hear the sound of clothes being straightened and them somebody approached and opened the door and Kara looked up at another flight attendant who eyed her with surprised but gentle eyes. Behind her she could see a man in a white uniform – perhaps one of the pilots – sitting on a chair and drinking coffee.

"Yes?" the blond woman asked her. "What can I do for you, young lady?"

"I…" Kara began and started fidgeting a little bit, trying to look nervous. "Could I…could I please have some milk? I can't sleep."

"My, of course" the flight attendant replied with a kind smile. "Wait a moment, I'll be right back."

She disappeared into the galley and true to her words came back after a few seconds with a glass of milk in her hand. It wasn't much but it would at least stabilize Max for a few hours and that was more than they needed.

"Here you go. And don't hesitate to call me if you need anything, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am" the X7 answered with a grateful smile. "Thank you!"

She turned around and the door to the galley was closed again. While walking down the aisle again she could hear the flight attendant and the pilot talking about her thanks to her enhanced hearing.

"_Who was that?"_ he wanted to know.

"_Just a girl who needed some milk to fall asleep. I wonder why her parents didn't come here with her?"_

"_Come on, that's an airplane we're talking about here. Her parents are probably already asleep and anyway: Where would she want to go? Not much possibilities to get lost."_

"_Still, she's pretty young to run around in an airplane on her own. I'll check on her later. She's a cute kid, though!"_

Hearing this Kara felt the urge to growl in anger. Kid! Cute! If she had to she could land this whole plane on her own, for the sake of the gods! Okay, land was maybe a little bit far-fetched; she would certainly have to improvise and the plane would probably lose one or two of its parts in the process but she was pretty confident she would manage to touch the ground without the aircraft breaking in two. Alright, quite confident. How many ten year olds could say that? .Not.!! She shook her head and hurried to get back to the cargo bay without anybody noticing it before her anger would make her do something stupid. Slipping back into the half-darkness she had come from she soon found the hatch and stepped through it only moments later.

"Did you get it?" Kyla asked out of the darkness, almost making the X7 jump.

"Of course I got it!" she muttered grumpily and closed the hatch again before giving the glass to the shorthaired X5.

Kyla, sensing her bad mood, decided this was not the time for a talk and they made it back to where Max and Ares were still waiting for them.

"Hurry up!" he told them the relief all too clear in his voice while he helped Max getting into a sitting position. Anxiously Kara watched her twin sister who did almost not respond to anything going on around her anymore and immediately all her thoughts about being treated unfair sometimes vanished. She had heard the seizures could get this bad but hearing about it and actually seeing your older self in that situation were two completely different things. Kyla knelt down in front of the seriously ill X5 and held the glass to her lips.

"Drink!" was the only thing she said and whether it was because Max understood her, understood that they were trying to help her or just out of reflex she slightly opened her mouth and drank, slowly, not able to make any more than the most basic efforts anymore, but she drank. After minutes which seemed to last hours the glass was empty and Max sank back against Ares' chest, her eyes still closed.

"How long until it starts to take effect?" Kara wanted to know.

"At least half an hour" Kyla answered tensely, "She'll be much better for a short time but we need to get her tryptophan as fast as we can."

"And how are we supposed to do that? It's a long way to Seattle and I don't think the drugstores will open at this time just for us" Ares reminded her. Kyla thought about this for a few moments and finally reached into her pocket, taking out the cell phone she had stolen from a tourist in Marseille.

"What are you doing?" he hissed. "That's not a secure line!"

"I know" she retorted in the same tone, "but do you have a better idea? I don't think Cale and her siblings will be very happy if we arrive there with Max in a coma, will they?"

Without waiting for an answer she dialed the number Max had told her and was relieved to see she actually got a connection; apparently they were already in US airspace. She didn't have to wait long before somebody answered.

"_Max, what are you doing? You're not on a secure line!"_

He was good, she had to give him that. There were not many ordinaries who would've known that fact five seconds after they'd received a call. And she had to agree with both him and Ares; she was doing a damn risky thing calling him like this.

"Nice to hear your voice again, Cale" she answered ironically, "but I'm not Max. This is Kyla, we have a problem."

He paused shortly. _"What is it?"_

"Max is sick. She needs tryptophan" Kyla informed him briefly. The shorter this conversation would be the better. She gave him their flight number. "How far are we out?"

"_Just a second!_" She could hear him typing something into his computer. _"Forty minutes until touchdown in Tacoma, runway five."_

"Can you be there by then?"

"_I will. Anything else?"_

"Don't forget the damned tryptophan!" she grumbled and terminated the connection.

"So?" Ares wanted to know.

"He'll be there." She sat down and leaned against one of the crates again and sighed heavily. They hadn't even set foot on US soil again and already their problems had started. "When it rains it pours."

"Murphy's law of combat operations!" Ares laughed quietly, then looked at Max with a sympathy neither Kyla nor Kara had seen very often in his eyes. "I think it's starting to help, she's much calmer already. Don't worry, we're gonna make it."

"I hope so" Kyla agreed. "Just pray Renfro did not notice that call."

"We'll worry about that once we got Max to the safe house" the Delta soldier said and gently touched Max's forehead. "Still hot, but at least the temperature isn't rising anymore."

"Don't let Alec know what you've been doing here" Kyla couldn't help but grin. "He might misunderstand it."

"Right!" he laughed. "I think we'll see about that as soon as Max wakes up again."

Kara watched the older transgenics silently and silently shook her head.

* * *

**Okay, that's it.**

**I didn't forget about the rest of unit two or about good old Lizzy Renfro, so don't worry, you'll hear from them again. And yes: After having promised it for so long Max is gonna see her old unit again!**

**But first I need some motiviation (yeah, I know, addicted to it.)**

**Just let me know what you think, please.**


	16. Meeting the '09ers

**Okay, it took me a little bit more than a week, in exchange the update is a little bit longer.**

**452max: **Yep, Max calling out for Alec was a little bit…mean? Well, I said it at the beginning of the story, it's gonna be M/A and although I'm really taking it slow in that particular direction I'm getting there. Slowly, I know. Thanks again for the review and here you go!

**cappsy**: Thanks to you, too. I just found another site with 'Murphy's law of war' so expect to get the one or the other quote from there in the near future *gg* Logan's not gonna play a big part in the discussion between the transgenics but as always he has been organizing some things. And he will continue to play a role in the events that are about to happen, you'll see. Kyla will get to respect him more but I can see you were a little bit surprised she made the call herself.

**nattylovesu**: ah, you know me, sometimes I don't even know myself where my characters are going. I will try to get the '09ers and Logan and the others some lines in the following chapters, but if you have any suggestions, as always: tell me. Thanks to you, too!

**coree:** Welcome on board! Glad you like the story so far. Well, if there are things you don't understand don't hesitate to ask me, but of course if you read the first story as well I would feel flattered, too *gg*

* * *

Almost an hour later four dark figures left the cargo bay unnoticed by the Tacoma airport security and slipped away into the relative darkness of the night. Ares took point, Max and Kyla, who supported her sibling as good as she could, were in the middle and Kara was the last of their small group. They intended to quickly bring some distance between themselves and the hangars and then make it to the northern end of runway five where they hoped Logan Cale was already waiting for them. But as always no plan of battle ever survives initial contact.

Just when they were about to round the corner of another hangar Ares stopped and raised his fist, causing the others to come to a halt as well. A few signs were exchanged and Kyla was not pleased at all when she saw Ares signing 'enemy' and 'hide' to them. She helped Max to sit down and lean against the steel wall of the hangar and told Kara to stay with her older twin, then she went over to where Ares was still peeking around the corner.

"What's going on?" she whispered.

"Trouble" he answered just as quietly. "See for yourself!"

He moved and slowly she pried around the corner as well and she immediately understood what he meant; there, just exactly where they needed to go through if they wanted to make it to the end of the runway, were three humvees parked around a small Learjet and at least two dozen men and women in dark green uniforms running to and fro. With a low growl emerging from her throat Kyla pulled back. Without a word the two of them made it back to where Max and Kara where waiting for them.

"What's going on?" Max asked tiredly. The milk really had helped; she didn't have any seizures anymore and the pain was gone but she was still miserable and she knew very soon, when the effects of the milk would wear off, she'd better have some tryptophan nearby or the only thing able to save her would be a fully equipped operating room.

"Recon marines!" Kyla snarled impatiently. "They're blocking our way of escape."

"They know we're here?" Max exclaimed and tried to get up but Ares just put a hand on her shoulder and forced her to stay down. That he managed to do so without really using any strength was proof enough for all of them that Max was still a long way from being fit for duty again.

"Easy" the Delta soldier tried to reassure her. "It doesn't look like they're here because of us."

"Then why are they?"

"No idea, but there still in our way. We need to find a different escape route. You and Kara stay get inside that hangar!" Kyla ordered "while I and Ares do some scouting. Kara, if anybody comes near Max, I need you to protect her."

"Understood" the girl nodded seriously, clearly aware of the situation but Max shook her head.

"I don't need any protection."

"Stop arguing with me, Max, you can barely stand on your own feet" Kyla cut her off. "Kara, can you get her inside?"

"Yes."

"Then do it. If we're not back in ten minutes, try to get out on your own, understood?"

"Understood!"

With a last nod and a warning glance towards Max Kyla and Ares disappeared into the opposite direction. Kara helped Max stand up and supported her as they made their way into the hangar. Max tried her best not to lean too much on the young girl although being an X7 Kara would actually even have been strong enough to carry her if necessary. Once inside they went to the darkest corner far enough from the entrance and sat down in the shadows.

"How are you?" Kara wanted to know and checked Max pulse and body temperature. It wasn't good, but better than half an hour ago.

"I'm not gonna die on you, kid" was the calm reply and Kara gave her older sister a mean look.

"Don't you start calling me that, too! It's enough Kyla can't stop it.

"It's just her way of showing you that she cares about you" Max explained. "Don't take it too seriously."

Kara was about to answer when she heard steps outside and seconds later a tall figure slipped into the huge hangar. She narrowed her eyes and her enhanced eyesight let her recognize a marine standard uniform, complete with a 9mm gun in a belt holster. Both transgenics froze and watched the marine out of the shadows they were hiding in.

'Come on!' Kara thought angrily. 'Can't you cut us some slack?'

She carefully sniffed. It was a man, perhaps twenty-five years old. She could see he was well-trained and as a marine he was certainly trained in hand-to-hand combat and surely knew how to use that gun of his. But as long as they remained quiet the chance he'd spot them was close to zero.

The man lit himself a cigarette and started walking around the empty hangar aimlessly, unaware of the two pairs of eyes watching his every movement. Kara barely could contain herself from snorting in disdain. This man was supposed to be a soldier just like she was and yet here he was, smoking while he had a job to do. Of course he would have to slip away from his unit and into an empty hangar; pathetic!

Slowly but surely the marine came closer but Kara was still quite sure he hadn't spotted them. His hands were not on his weapon and he looked relaxed. She was confident he would leave again as soon as he would have finished his smoke. Suddenly Max stirred and Kara turned towards her alerted. The two transgenics looked at each other and Kara could see in her twin's eyes the effects of the milk were already wearing off, much earlier than they had thought. Max was in pain again; she already began trembling, sweat started to appear on her forehead, her jaw was clenched but she didn't make a noise, well aware of how difficult things would become if the soldier would notice them.

For whatever reason the marine suddenly stopped and looked towards them. Kara knew neither she nor Max had made a sound and with his ordinary eyesight the man couldn't see them but something made him suspicious; perhaps it was just that infamous sixth sense. Whatever it was he slowly approached their position. The X7 could feel Max reaching for the gun under her jacket and she shook her head at the older transgenic; if the rest of the marines outside heard the gunshot they would never make it off the airfield. Max shot her an incredulous look and Kara nodded with her lips firmly pressed together and Max finally nodded herself but did not release the grip on her weapon.

The marine dropped his cigarette and took a flashlight from his belt, pointed it at the darkness where the two transgenics were hiding and switched it on. Blinded they raised their hands to protect their eyes.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" he asked. When they didn't answer he came even closer. "Hey, I asked you a question!"

He suddenly focused on Max whose shivering form and pale and sweat-covered face were clear signs she was not well. His face changed from alerted and suspicious to surprised and concerned.

"Hey, are you okay? You don't have to be afraid, girls, I'm a marine. I will not hurt you, I'm trying to help you. What's wrong?" He attentively eyed Max and frowned when he saw in what kind of state she was. Mentally Kara noted that he was perhaps not so bad. "Are you sick?"

He reached out and put his hand under Max's chin and forced her to look at him. She jerked back and tried to get out of his grasp. He let her have her will although it was clear he could have forced her.

"Don't…touch!" Max hissed, trying to sound menacing but her constant trembling made that effort useless.

"Easy there. Did you take something? Pills or the like?" Max didn't answer as the seizures became stronger and she needed every ounce of her strength not to scream. The marine shook his head and sighed. "Come on, I'm gonna get you out of here."

When he reached out Kara decided it was enough. She shot forward and slapped his hands aside forcefully.

"She said don't touch her!" the girl hissed warningly and the man actually backed off a little bit.

"Well, okay, you don't want help, I get it, but I can see you need it. I'm gonna get a medic, he can help you." He stood up and turned towards the hangar's exit.

"We don't need a medic!" Kara objected.

"Oh yes, you do!" he forcefully corrected her. "Perhaps you don't know it, girl, but your friend is seriously ill and she needs medical attention. I'll be back in a few seconds, just stay here!"

He approached the exit again and Kara, having run out of options, got up and charged after him before Max could hold her back. He heard her and turned around again just to be kicked in the stomach and sent to the floor. He clearly was in pain as he looked up at the young girl with wide eyes but nevertheless he reacted very quickly, dropping the flashlight and reaching for his gun. Without hesitation the young X7 charged again and kicked the gun out of his hands. Before he really knew what was happening she bend down almost faster than his eyes could follow her and her fist connected with his face, rendering him immediately unconscious. For a brief moment she regretted her actions; the man was not her enemy, he had wanted to help them but she needed time to get out of there. She grabbed the soldier's flashlight and weapon and went back to Max.

"That was…" Max began with her teeth gritted but Kara didn't let her finish.

"Don't even start. Come on, get up! We need to disappear!" Without waiting for an answer and ignoring Max's moans of pain, Kara grabbed her by the arm and forcefully half yanked, half helped her to her feet. She felt guilty for causing Max more pain but she also knew they didn't have much time until the marine would wake up again so she couldn't afford being too careful. "Come on, let's go!"

Just when they were about to reach the exit another figure appeared from outside and Kara readied herself for another fight but relaxed when she recognized Kyla. The X5 frowned when she saw the X7 and her sister but her eyes quickly found the unmoving body of the marine behind them.

"We were discovered" Kara informed her briefly but Kyla just nodded. "He's unconscious. For now."

"I see. Come on, we found a way!"

Neither of them could have known at that moment that this little fight would trigger a whole sequence of events.

Outside Ares was already waiting for them. He and Kyla took Max's weight from Kara's shoulders, took her between themselves and together they made their way to the airport's perimeter fence as fast as they could. When they were approaching the northern end of the runway Kara could see the silhouettes of two cars and at least four people in the darkness, all but one of them armed. Together the older transgenics jumped over the fence, holding Max all the while, and landed safely on the other side although Max stumbled and would have fallen if not for the help of her companions. Kara jumped as well but narrowly missed the barbed wire on top of the fence; the strength to do the infamously high jumps was something transgenics developed rather late in their lives and she was just beginning to build up the necessary muscles. Nevertheless she did it and landed gracefully on her feet in the short and wet grass.

When they came closer the four dark silhouettes moved towards them and she could make out two men and two women, three of them most certainly X5s.

"Identify yourself!" one of the men said warningly, gun at the ready.

"X5-301" Kyla responded. "We have to move."

One of them, the one Kara judged to be an ordinary, switched on a flashlight and once again she was temporarily blinded. They were quickly eyed by the waiting group and a man about Max's age with blond hair and a rather grim face swore under his breath when he saw in what state she was.

"What the hell did you do to her?" he snarled angrily and pointed at Max who was still shivering and looking worse than only minutes before.

"Let me guess" Ares said tensely to Kyla without taking his eyes of the man. "That's Zack, right?"

"Yeah, that's X5-599 in all his glory" the female X5 answered with grim sarcasm before she turned towards Zack. "We didn't do anything to her! She has the shakes. Do you have the tryptophan with you?"

Zack didn't answer but instead one of the women stepped forward with a small bottle in her hands. She opened it and offered three small white pills to Max who took them and smiled briefly when she recognized the woman.

"Syl" she whispered a little bit surprised but nonetheless happy.

"Hey, little sister" the blonde '09er smiled.

Max looked around and saw that the other female was Tinga and her eyes lit up when they came to rest on Logan who was watching the whole scene silently, his worried eyes firmly on her. They were really here, her old unit was here, Logan had made it!

"Now" Kyla began again before the silence became too awkward. "I don't want to disturb this highly emotional moment but I suggest we get the hell out of here before those marines back there start looking for whoever knocked out their comrade."

"Marines?" Logan asked surprised. There had been no reports indicating that marines would be there.

"Long story" Kyla answered briefly. "And I will be happy to tell you once we're at a safe distance. Zack gave her a grim look but nodded.

"You two and the kid go with Tinga and Syl!" he ordered looking at Ares and Kyla. "Max comes with me and Logan!"

"Not a chance!" Kyla growled. She was not about to let her sister out of her sight while she was in her current state. "I'm staying with Max!"

"No, you…"

"Zack!" Max interrupted them weakly. "It's okay. Ares…take care of Kara!"

"I will" he assured her with a weird glance towards Zack. Somehow he already knew the male '09er would be trouble. "Let's move out!"

Ares shared a last brief glance with Kyla before he and Kara walked towards Syl and Tinga and got into the car, an old SUV, while Kyla helped Max in Logan's car and sat beside her in the backseat. Zack sat in the passenger seat and turned around so he could look at the two women. Kyla could see the distrust in his eyes which was clearly directed at her but also the brief and worried glances he gave Max. Without a word Logan started the car and they drove away from where they had been waiting for about thirty minutes, disappearing into the night, the second car which was driven by Syl right behind them.

"So" Logan began after a few minutes of silent driving. "What was that about marines back there?"

"There was about a platoon of them" Kyla explained, never looking away from Max tense face. She already started to look better, the tryptophan finally kicking in, but the shorthaired X5 knew it had been a close call this time. "They blocked our way of escape so Max and Kara were hiding in one of the hangars while Ares and I searched for another way out. Apparently one marine discovered them and Kara had to take him out."

"The kid did that?" Logan sounded more than just a little bit surprised.

"I wouldn't call her that if I were you" Kyla responded with a wry grin. "She doesn't like it."

"You do it…all the…time" Max reminded her and briefly opened her eyes to look at her.

"Look who's talking again" the slightly older transgenic exclaimed without caring about if the two men could hear the relief in her voice. "Feeling better? And for the record: I'm just doing it because I like her!"

"I know you do. And yes, I feel…a little bit better. Hey, Logan, Zack!" Max smiled and even the usually so tense and grim Zack couldn't suppress a smile anymore while Logan almost wanted to stop the car only so he could turn around himself. But he forced himself to continue driving and only made eye-contact with her over the driving mirror.

"Hey, Max" he said with a happy smile. "I'm glad you finally made it back! Is the tryptophan working already?"

"It is. I should be up and running again in no time."

"Not so fast, sleeping beauty" Kyla corrected her softly. "You had us quite worried there so you will take it slow, understood."

"Understood" Max agreed, still too tired for an argument. Right now she just felt happy they had made it back into the United States and she would see her old unit again. Perhaps even OC if she was still working for Eyes Only. She was about to ask Logan about her friend when he spoke into his small radio.

"Okay, everyone heads up, we're approaching the first checkpoint!"

"_Ready and good to go"_ Tinga's voice came over the wireless. _"Just make sure we hurry up, this guy is giving me the creeps and the girl isn't any better!"_

As if on cue Max and Kyla looked at each other and despite the seriousness of their situation snickered simultaneously. Yes, Ares could be kind of a creepy guy if he wanted to and they were sure Kara was doing her best to copy his behavior. Max was sure once they got to know them better the other '09ers would quickly accept her three companions but right now she could understand they looked at them with suspicion and maybe also incertitude. But there was still one problem left.

"How are you planning to get us past the sector checkpoints?" she wanted to know from Logan and she could see how he smiled that confident smile of his.

"A friend is doing us a favor" he explained. "He should be around here somewhere…right, there he is!"

Another car appeared out of the darkness and took point of their little convoy. Max narrowed her eyes; she knew that car. Only about a minute later they could see the checkpoint and Logan grabbed his radio again.

"Everything ready, Matt?" he wanted to know.

"_Don't worry, Logan, I've got it covered."_ Matt Sung's voice was just as confident and calm as she remembered it. _"Just don't forget to tell your friends not to do anything stupid."_

"Friends in the right places" Logan murmured more to himself than to the other passengers, then he slowed down as they arrived at the checkpoint and the officer in charge signaled them to stop. As the four sector police officers approached Sung's car Max could feel Kyla tense up and she didn't need to look at her sister to know her hand had slipped under her jacket and grabbed her gun. She shot her a warning look and slightly shook her head. Kyla nodded but did not loosen the grip on her gun.

"Good evening, officers" they could hear Sung's voice. "Detective Matt Sung, I'm escorting the two vehicles behind me to sector eleven."

"How many passengers?"

"I don't know, I have only been told to get them there" the Asian cop replied with perfect mock annoyance. "Some kind of government thing going on here, nobody tells me anything, you know how it is."

"Yes, I know all too well" the sector cop replied with understanding in his voice and a small smile. "Well, don't take it personal if those dicks try to bug you, they don't know what they're talking about. Have a nice evening!"

"You too, officer, thanks." The checkpoint opened and both Max and Kyla breathed a sigh of relief.

"That went well" Logan meant once they had passed their first obstacle. "One down, four more to go."

* * *

_Thirty minutes later, Logan's safe house_

"Could you please stop it?" Zane snarled at his brother in an unusually annoyed tone. "You're driving me crazy!"

"They should have arrived by now" Krit objected and, of course, didn't stop pacing around and even the usually stoic Bling cast him an unnerved glance.

"Oh, so they're late?" Zane's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Hm, let me see how many completely innocent and realistic reasons there could be for that. That's Seattle we're talking about, don't get all nervous just because they're five minutes late!"

"I know. I just can't stop thinking about it. We should've gone with them; who knows what those other X5s are up to. I don't like it!"

"Just shut it or this girl is gonna put you in a world of hurt, fool!" the only woman in the room snapped. Original Cindy turned away from the window and gave Krit a glare that would have made a lesser man shiver in fear. "I'm worried too, but my boo always knew what she was doing!"

"Sure" he agreed, "but that was before she got recaptured."

Zane groaned and OC opened her mouth to snap at the transgenic again when Krit suddenly turned towards the window and signaled them to be quiet. After a moment of intense listening Zane heard it, too.

"They're here" he told OC and a second later the four of them had left the room and were approaching the door. Just when they stepped outside into the cold night of Seattle three cars turned around the corner down the street and came closer until they came to a halt. Almost simultaneously doors were opened and only seconds later everybody had gotten out of their cars and approached the house. It was not a small one, but it was no mansion either. It was just one of the many two-level buildings with a balcony and a solid and rather big cellar like there were hundreds all around Seattle. Logan had decided hiding in the really bad parts of the city was not the best idea as Renfro would most certainly look for them there first. So he had rented this house which was not in the best parts of the city – like the Foggle Towers, for example – but the crime rate was pretty low and while there was not enough to get from the usual resident to make the police greedy. It had been a wise choice as until now they had not run into more than the usual trouble you had to expect if you lived in a city like Seattle after the Pulse. On the inside however with the help of his associates and friends Logan had been able not only to purchase some not-too-expensive but nevertheless rather comfortable furniture, he had also set up a computer network just as good as the one he'd had in his penthouse in the cellar. Sometimes it really was a good thing to be friends with some genetically enhanced super-soldiers, he thought with a grin.

Krit frowned when he saw how weakened Max seemed to be; she was walking on her own but he could clearly see the shakes had taken their toll on her and a female X5 he had never seen before – probably X5-301 – didn't leave her side for a second and seemed to be ready to grab her at all times if she should lose her balance and fall. He also eyed the other two transgenics carefully although when his eyes came to rest on the small girl he couldn't hide his surprise very well. What was Max's clone doing here?

The small group entered the house again while Logan said his thanks to Matt who just nodded and said something with a glance towards Max which Krit could not understand but the look in the Asian detective's eyes was friendly and although the male '09er still had a hard time admitting it perhaps not all cops were as bad as he had thought. Just when the last transgenic had entered the house Logan and Matt shook hands with the promise to get in touch again as soon as possible and then Matt drove away while Logan got into the house as well and closed the door.

"Max!" Original Cindy exclaimed as soon as they were in the living room again and had some space to move. Tonight she saw her friend for the first time since the fight between Wolf, Kyla and Max and she didn't wait another second and stormed forward, embracing her boo in a tight hug. "You finally came home!"

"OC!" Max returned the embrace and she felt a great relief and joy having her friend with her again after so many months. "Oh, I missed you!"

"I missed you, too! Welcome home, boo!" OC chose to ignore Kyla for the moment although she had recognized her, of course, but she decided it would be best to wait for what was about to come. At least it seemed Max trusted the shorthaired X5.

For the next five minutes Max was busy greeting her siblings and Logan and Bling and OC. She was finally together with her old family again! She felt so happy to finally see them again she almost forgot what trouble they were actually in and she didn't even seem to feel the aftereffects of the shakes anymore; it just didn't matter right then. Syl and Tinga laughed happily, Krit's grin was bigger than ever and even the calm Zane and the usually so stoic and even grim Zack were smiling broadly. Logan and Bling welcomed her with open arms and OC couldn't stop hugging her. Ares saw how Kyla almost invisibly flinched every time one of those people – some of them she didn't know and those she did had been considered hostile in the past – touched Max. Her lips were slightly parted, showing her teeth, and her eyes watched every movement. The Delta grinned inwardly at her barely suppressed need to protect a weakened member of her pack; that was what was going on after all although he wouldn't speak it out loud. It had taken him and his fellow Deltas a lot of time to accept the fact that much of their behavior was feral and animalistic and he just thought it would be easier for the X-series if they found out and accepted it themselves. After everybody had calmed down a little bit they all turned towards Max's three companions who were observing the whole scene silently and seemed to be waiting calmly for Max to make the next step.

"Well" Zane said after a few seconds looking directly at Kara who stared back stubbornly, "I can certainly remember that face. Why didn't you tell us you were bringing your clone with you, Max? She's an X7, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is. It's a long story, believe me, but don't call her a clone, please. Her name is Kara" Max corrected him which earned her a thankful glance from her younger twin.

"Kara it is. Who are the rest of your friends?" Zane gave his little sister an inquiring glance and she nodded with a small smile, glad her brother tried to ease the tension that had suddenly built up in the room. She turned towards Kyla, who was standing behind Kara with a hand on the girl's shoulder, first.

"That's X5-301" Max introduced the black-haired woman. "But we all call her Kyla. She's the 2IC of my unit."

The assembled '09ers nodded at Kyla, most of them with calm reticence all too visible in their eyes. She didn't blame them; after all she had been part of something they had hated for over a decade. She just nodded back, her hand not moving from Kara's shoulder.

"The other one is Ares, or Delta-26" Max explained and just as Kyla Ares nodded at the rest of the people in the room silently although his eyes were a little bit more friendly and there was a small smile tucking at his lips.

"Delta?" Tinga spoke up. "You're not X-series."

"I'm not Manticore" he informed her and grinned.

"But you're transgenic, are you not?" Syl wanted to know and Ares just nodded. "Then who are you?"

"And who are you?" he retorted quickly with an arched eyebrow. Right then Syl couldn't help but grin as well.

"You're right, sorry" she laughed. Somehow this guy seemed to be alright. "I'm Syl, or X5-701. The exotic looking girl there is Tinga, X5-656, and the guy beside her is X5-205, Zane."

Kyla looked at each of them briefly and she had a feeling Zane would be the most reasonable of them although the two females didn't seem like too much trouble, either. The other two promised to be more difficult or at least it seemed to her like that at the moment.

"Now the grim looking guy over there is our old CO, X5-599 or Zack. Don't worry about him too much, he just seems to have forgotten how to smile." Syl ignored the nasty look Zack gave her for that comment and slung her arm around the young man who was standing right next to her. "And this is Krit, X5-471. Always talking, always worried, but the best friend you'll ever find!"

"Syl!" he protested and mock tried to get out of her grasp. "You're ruining my reputation!"

"What reputation?" the blond snorted before she returned her attention to the other occupants in the room. "Well, and I believe you already know Logan, OC and Bling."

"We've run into each other before" Kyla confirmed with an almost mean grin and Bling could have sworn she briefly winked at him.

"I see" Syl agreed before she returned her attention back to Ares. "Well, you still haven't answered my question."

"I think it would be better if we sit down" the Delta soldier offered with a glance towards Max. "It's gonna be a very long story."

Max looked at him and rolled her eyes; they were transgenics, they could stand without moving a muscle for hours if they had to. It was obvious he just wanted to make her more comfortable but for once she didn't complain. First of all because she knew OC, Logan and Bling would appreciate the possibility to relax for a few minutes and second – and she didn't like that at all – because she silently had to admit that she too could need some relaxation. Tryptophan or not, she still wasn't on top of her game again. So everybody took a seat, either on one of the two old couches Krit and Syl had gotten a hold of the week before or on a chair or even on the floor like Kara did, with her back against the wall, watching the older transgenics attentively. Her attention was mostly on the former '09ers; she too had been indoctrinated at Manticore to see them as traitors, rats and deserters, but the calm and almost relaxed way Kyla, Ares and most of all Max were talking to them had made it clear they were not the enemy, not right now at least. Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder what else was wrong out here although she had been told at Manticore it was true.

"Okay", Ares began after he had shared a glance with Kyla and they silently agreed it would be best if he started the talking. "I am – as you've recognized by now – a transgenic, but as I said I'm not Manticore. I've been born and raised in Switzerland as part of the SRTU, the Silent Response and Tactical Units of the Swiss Special Forces. Almost a year ago Kyla and her partner, X5-451, contacted us and together we attacked an enemy base in Italy. That's when all the trouble really began."

For the next ninety minutes they told their new allies everything they knew, everything that had happened since the first encounter with the Alliance in Joliet, the attack in Italy, the enhanced commandos, Renfro's betrayal and unit two's subsequent escape from Manticore. The missions in Marseille, the SRTU – at least as far as Ares could allow it – their attack near Strasbourg, the ambush and Wolf's falsely assumed death up to the latest events which had led them back to Seattle.

"And that's why we are here" Max finally finished. She was sitting on the couch between Kyla and Krit. Her old unit remained silent as did Logan, OC and Bling; all of them were thinking about what they had heard.

"What's your plan?" Logan wanted to know.

"We need information about the base in Wyoming" Kyla explained. "If we want to get Wolf out of there we need to know what Renfro has changed while we were away. I'm sure she has changed the whole defensive perimeter. There's only the three of us, so we won't be able to do the necessary recon alone, not in a reasonable time. We need you to help us. Once we have the intel we need we'll contact the rest of our unit. You won't have to take part in any offensive action."

"And why do you need to get him out? Why not just attack the facility?" Bling asked.

"After all this time he must have gained valuable information, information we need. Renfro is most surely a part of the Alliance, so yes, we could take her out but that would not inflict much damage on the organization itself. If we can get Wolf out of there we could possibly be able to gain an advantage big enough to destroy them once and for all. It's a tactical option we can't let pass."

"And it's also personal, isn't it?" Tinga said with the hint of a smile. Kyla looked at her with slight shock in her eyes. Was she so easy to see through? Tinga's smile only grew wider but it wasn't amusement in her eyes, it was compassion. "Don't worry, you're hiding it pretty well. But I'm married and I'm a mother, I've learned to look at things in a way Manticore doesn't teach you."

After a brief moment of hesitation Kyla nodded silently and lowered her head, feeling strangely ashamed the '09er had so easily guessed her secret. Meanwhile Max eyed Tinga and wondered what else she did not know about her old unit. She also glanced at Original Cindy and caught her friend giving her an inquiring look. There would be much to talk about, she decided.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, Kyla" Syl suddenly spoke up when she saw how unsure the black-haired X5 had gotten. Subconsciously she snuggled up against Krit a little bit. "We understand."

Surprised Kyla looked at the blond woman and then at the rest of the '09ers. They all almost invisibly nodded and even in Zack's eyes she could see a brief flicker of understanding before his expression became grim and hard again.

"How personal?" he wanted to know but his voice held less of the hard edge than usually.

"Enough to get him out on my own if I have to" was the short but determined answer.

"Let me get this straight" Zane spoke up again. "You want us to help you do the reconnaissance, gather the intel and then your unit and Lydecker will do the attack."

"Right."

"What makes you think they will come?" Krit asked. "You're deserters."

"Technically so are they" Max interjected. "They will come."

"No offense, Max, but you said it yourself: You all agreed to remain a military unit, which means they will follow the rules of the military and stick to their chain of command." It was Zack who said that, being the calculating CO again.

"No offense either, Zack" Max retorted, "but you're talking about something you don't have the first damned clue about! We're not Manticore puppets, we're a unit and we care about each other. You above all should know what I'm talking about!"

"I'm perfectly aware of what you're talking about but you have to be aware of the possibility that they might not act like you expect them to; they're Manticore." He briefly looked at Kyla. "I'm already surprised she decided to defy her orders."

Everybody tensed when they heard Kyla's cold laugh following his statement. She looked at Zack and smiled but like so many times before Max could see it wasn't a gesture of amusement but rather a way to hide her growing anger.

"So?" the shorthaired X5 asked him. "Does having grown up at Manticore mean that we're all a bunch of genetically programmed and emotionless robots in your eyes?"

"I know your superiors; they will not allow it. They just can't understand what the X5s in a unit can feel for each other, that we see each other as family" Zack tried to explain but for some reason that only seemed to anger Kyla even more.

"You ignorant…" she began and Max decided to step in.

"Kyla!" she reminded her sister. "Take it easy!"

"Oh, I'm taking it easy, don't worry!" the black-haired X5 assured her before looking back at Zack who was watching her carefully just as did his siblings. "Listen, I don't care what you're thinking but if you ever again say out loud what you just did you and I are gonna have a very special talk, is that clear? You say you're a family? Well, newsflash 599, I have a family, too, and right now you are messing with mine!"

"I'm not talking about your unit" Zack repeated again with growing frustration, "I'm talking about Lydecker!"

"I know!" Kyla yelled. "And I already understood that the first time, dammit!"

"What the hell are you…?" Zack began but trailed off when it dawned on him. Surprised and shocked he looked towards the rest of the '09ers and he could see the same disbelief in their eyes he was experiencing at the moment. Slowly he turned towards Kyla again. "Are you saying you're considering Lydecker to be your…your _father_?"

The silence and the burning glare he received from her were more than enough to answer that question.

"Max?" Syl asked in a whispering tone. The two women shared a long glance and the question which was on the blonde's mind didn't need to be spoken out loudly; _'you too?'_

For what seemed to be an eternity Max held the eyes of the other '09ers until she barely visibly nodded and an almost painful yet silent groan went through the ranks of her old unit. Even Kyla looked at her with surprise clearly evident in her eyes. Now that was something not even she would have expected.

"Okay, somebody pinch me, please, I want to wake up from this nightmare" Krit said quietly after about a minute of shocked silence. "What happened to you, Max? What the hell did you do to my sister!?"

"We've been over that already, Krit" Max growled defiantly. "Nobody forced me, nobody brainwashed me. I'm here because I want to be!"

"Yeah, right!" Zack snorted. "Listen to yourself, Maxie!"

"Oh, shut it, will you!" Ares finally spoke up again, sounding more than just annoyed. "You're behaving like bunch of little kids fighting over sweets. We're not here to analyze who has suffered more in his childhood but to decide if, how and when we will take action. Even the ordinaries are behaving more rational than you are right now. No offense, by the way."

"None taken" Logan seriously replied. He didn't like the way this meeting was going on but as long as they remained peaceful – well, kind of, at least – he would let them talk. He had learned that you got more information from most transgenics if you did not interrupt them too often. But he desperately wanted to talk to Max as soon as this was over and he could tell OC and Bling felt just the same.

"After what I've just heard I'm pretty sure we're not gonna do anything at all. Why should we do anything that involves Lydecker?" Zack assured Ares grimly. The Delta soldier looked at him as if he had just assured him the Easter bunny existed.

"Damned coward!" Kyla swore under her breath.

"Shut up, Kyla, right now!" Ares calmly ordered her. He shook his head and laughed with silent sarcasm before he turned towards Max while pointing at Zack. "Has he always been so dense or did that come later?"

"Do you have something to say?" the blonde '09er wanted to know.

"Hell yes, I do" the Swiss transgenic nodded with mock kindness. "One: This isn't about whether you had a hard life back in Gilette a decade ago or not. It's about an operative who's being held by hostile forces, a fact which endangers his unit. Second: The hostile force behind this is the Alliance who has been hunting and trying to kill transgenics ever since we've discovered them. They are highly mobile, very well equipped and extremely dangerous, even to our kind. And I'm saying they're hunting transgenics; not X-series, not Deltas, SRTU or '09ers but transgenics as a race. Who do you think they will come after they have dealt with us? Let me see who would be left. Right answer is: '09ers. You and everyone in your unit, Zack. Now maybe Kyla has to get used to you not liking Manticore or Colonel Lydecker very much but at the same time you most certainly have to accept that neither you nor any other '09er in this room except for Max have even the faintest idea of how Manticore has been after your escape or if – and if yes, how – the Colonel has changed. We're not asking you to understand how we feel for our fellow soldiers and our superiors; we're asking you to help us getting a recon mission done, nothing else! If you can't do that; fine! Tell us and then get the hell out of our way! If you can; stop bitching and start being a productive part of the team!"

Almost yelling towards the end he gave every '09er in the room a hard glance and then stood up abruptly.

"Where are you going?" Kyla wanted to know, rather surprised by his long speech. She had never heard him say so much in a row.

"_We_" he answered forcefully looking at Max, Kara and Kyla, "are going to cool off. Let's have them some privacy to discuss this. Come on!"

When Kyla didn't move he sighed, clearly annoyed. "Kyla, I just flew over the damned ocean, had one of my companions suffering from the shakes, I've nearly run into a platoon of marines and I am in a city on US soil which is as close to hostile territory as it can get for me right now without setting foot on a Manticore facility. I'm cut off from my unit and from every sort of backup or communication with my superior officer. I haven't eaten, I haven't slept and shark DNA or not I definitively do not have the nerve to argue with you right now. Move!"

Surprisingly, after staring at him for another second, Kyla stood up and slowly the four transgenics left the room to go outside. Max was the last to leave the room and before she closed the door she shot her old siblings a last, almost pleading glance. Once outside on the balcony Ares breathed deeply before he lit himself a cigarette.

"Got one for me?" Kyla asked into the silence.

"I thought you only smoke after successful missions?" he asked her but nevertheless offered her one.

"That's what I thought about you, too."

He laughed. "The exception proves the rule."

"Right" she agreed and inhaled. After that they all remained quiet for another minute, staring into the night. Max listened to the nocturnal sounds of the city, remembering all the times she had been speeding through the wet and dark streets on her bike – her baby.

"That was quite a speech" she finally said without looking away from the dark scenery before her.

"Yeah, sorry. I got a little bit carried away" he apologized. "Maybe my shark DNA is really reaching its limits."

"I don't think so" she grinned. "Zack has this effect on people but don't worry about it; he's one of the good guys, he just needs somebody giving him a piece of his mind from time to time."

"So what do you think is gonna happen now?" Kara suddenly wanted to know. Unlike her usual vivid and sometimes a little bit quarrelsome self she had not said a single word ever since they had arrived. Watching all those X5s arguing with each other made her feel out of place and also nervous.

"Well, if we're lucky they're gonna team up with us and if we're not so lucky they won't." Ares seemed to be intensely in thought for several seconds and Kyla could almost hear how he was going over several tactical scenarios in his head until he spoke up again. "What do you think Cale and the rest of your friends are gonna do, Max? They were awfully quiet."

"Well, I suggest you don't have a bunch of arguing transgenic super-soldiers in your living room every day" she replied with a faint smile. "I can't say for sure but Logan was never one to back down, neither was Bling and OC once even managed to take out Wolf and put Kyla to flight."

"She did?" Ares actually looked impressed and he gave Kyla a sly grin. "Now that's a story I would like to hear!"

"Ugh, did you really have to tell him, Max!?" Kyla complained with mock annoyance and they all laughed quietly.

"At least they didn't try to shoot us" Ares said with dry sarcasm. "They didn't even take our weapons; could be a sign of trust. It's a start."

"But they're still a little bit jumpy" Kly grinned. "Did you see how they always spread out in the room so they would have a clear line of fire if they needed it?"

"Nothing we wouldn't do if we were in the same situation" Max stated matter-of-factly. She was not defending the other '09ers, but it was a fact and the others nodded in agreement. Kara however looked at her sister inquiringly.

"Are you saying they're hostile?" she wanted to know.

"Not hostile" Ares answered for Max. "They're just cautious. I would be too, if I were in their situation."

"It's gonna be a long night" Kyla sighed after a moment.

"Yeah" Max agreed. "But at least we made it here. It's a start."

After that they remained on that balcony for quite a long time, all of them lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

_Meanwhile at the Tacome Airport_

The black SUV came to a halt and Victoria was out of it before her partner had killed the engine. Marching towards the officer in charge she reached for her batch and held it under his nose.

"Special Agent, hm?" he muttered after seeing the golden emblem and eyed the brunette woman in the simple grey suit closely, a little bit too closely for her liking. She sighed and knew exactly what was going on in the jarhead's head; too young and too pretty for this job. Such reactions didn't even anger her anymore; she had gotten used to it already but it was still very annoying. "I'm Major Baxter."

"What can you tell me, Major?" she asked, ignoring the man's reaction to her appearance. They'd just finished a case in Seattle and she had really hoped she and her team would be on their way back to DC in a few hours but fate had decided they were needed a little longer where they were right now. This was definitely not her night, she thought grimly.

"One of the marines, Private first class Jenkins, was attacked in that hangar" he informed her, his whole attitude changing to professional at once and he pointed towards one of the large and dark buildings. "He claims to have slipped away for a smoke and found a young woman and a girl in there. The woman seemed to be in need of medical attention so he tried to get the medic in his unit. After this he claims that the girl had attacked him and knocked him out."

'Right!' Victoria thought sarcastically. 'A fully trained recon marine gets beaten up by a little girl. That's lame, even for a jarhead!'

"I know what you're thinking, but I have known this man for several years and except for him being a heavy smoker he's a great marine" Baxter said.

"We'll see about that" Vic muttered which earned her a warning glare from the marine. "Is anything missing?"

"Not as far as we can tell" he answered rather hesitantly. Vic smiled and shook her head.

"Major, we have arrived here within an hour, that's much, much faster than we usually would just because somebody informs us that a marine has gotten his ass kicked. The director of the NCIS has already been informed about the special nature of the cargo you are here to protect and he's told us as well. So why don't we just stop playing dumb and start to work as a team?"

Baxter looked at her and mentally noted that maybe he had underestimated this particular NCIS agent. Finally he nodded. "My men are double-checking the whole cargo as we speak but as far as we can tell it's still complete. From what we know, whoever has attacked Private Jenkins did not even come close to it."

"Very well, Major" Vic nodded, glad he seemed to have decided that working together was the easier way for all of them. "We need to speak with Private Jenkins and we also need a detailed report about if the cargo has been touched or not. Don't worry, it will be handled with the necessary precautions."

"I will see what I can do, ma'am" Baxter nodded, now sounding like he actually started to respect her. "Private Jenkins is this over there."

"Andy" she called for her partner. "Go with Major Baxter and get Private Jenkins. We probably have to borrow him for a few hours."

"On it, boss" the blond agent nodded and followed Baxter to where a group of marines had been attentively watching them ever since they had arrived.

Victoria on the other hand took out her cell phone and dealt a number she knew by heart.

"_What's up?"_ an all too enthusiastic voice answered her after few seconds from the other end of the continent and Victoria frowned; that woman was just too happy for her own current mood.

"Well, it looks we have to stay here because some marine has smoked bad weed" she growled, slowly beginning to feel frustrated.

"_And what leads you to this not really interesting and stereotypical theory?"_

"Sorry, Abby, but that sounds even better than his own explanation; he claims that a small girl has knocked him out."

"_That sounds cool!"_

"Yeah, right" Vic muttered. If you were the one who was probably close to a caffeine-overdose and not the one standing on an airfield it probably sounded cool. "Listen, Abbs, I don't want to rush you, but do you have found something already?"

She had called the forensic specialist right after she had been informed by the director they had another case.

"_I've started right after your call, sweetheart"_ was the cheerful answer, _"There's not much I can do until I get a clearance to use a military satellite from Tim but I'm looking for unusual electronic communication right now. The problem is that Tacoma is a big place with lots of radio traffic going on. Most of it is just communication from the tower and I also caught some of the marines' chattering…"_

"Abby!" Vic interrupted her with a growl. She knew exactly the older woman had found something or she wouldn't be so talkative. "Just tell me what you've got!"

"_Victoria Maria Gibbs!"_ came the unusual sharp reply. _"Don't you dare talking to me in that tone! I have worked with your father __**and**__ your mother before you were even born so you better don't even think about trying to intimidate me! Those two never succeeded so you will most certainly not succeed, either!"_

"I'm sorry, Abbs" Victoria apologized and sighed. There really was no reason to snap at the other woman. "I'm just kind of stressed."

"_It's okay"_ Abby replied, sounding more friendly again. _"And by the way; there really is something strange."_

"What is it?"

"_Now don't get your hopes up already, it's not much, just kind of weird. The communication satellite picked up a call from one of the airplanes which landed not long before your marine got spanked. As far as I can tell the call was made from a mobile phone and whoever did it wanted to speak to someone in Seattle."_

"So? Using mobile phones is only prohibited during the starting and landing sequence. What's so special about it?"

"_The call itself isn't"_ Abby continued and sounded more excited by the second. _"It's the receiver. You see, I had no problem to identify the origin of the call; it was not encrypted or protected, not in the slightest way, but the receiver, now whoever that is knows what he is doing. That's some heavy encryption and codification he or she is using. So far I haven't even been able to identify his location."_

"Why would somebody only encrypt one end of a call?" Vic was seriously confused. "That makes no sense at all!"

"_Not, it doesn't. But one thing is for sure; this was neither the military nor somebody of air-traffic control. They all use encryption which is almost standard for somebody like me and whoever it is we're talking about here is far from any standard I have ever seen."_

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"_I'm trying to tell you to be careful. My gut tells me there's more to this whole story than one beaten up marine."_

Vic thought about that for a few seconds and she didn't like the different scenarios her mind came up with at all. Most of all not when she thought about what Director McGee had told her about the special cargo the marine recon unit was guarding.

"Thanks, Abby, keep me posted!"

"_I will. Later."_ The line went dead and Special Agent Victoria Gibbs stared into the dark night surrounding the Tacoma airfield with grim eyes. Somehow she suddenly felt like somebody was watching her right. Sure, it was just a phone call but Abby was one of the most experienced forensic analysts this country had to offer and if she thought something was not as it should be they were most likely in some kind of trouble.

'This is more than a simple attack on a marine' Victoria thought. 'This is much more, I know it!'

Whether it was that infamous gut feeling her parents so often talked about or something else she didn't know, but she knew they had to act much faster than they had thought until now.

"Major Baxter!" she yelled. "We need to talk! Now!"

* * *

**Okay, first of all: If you think I made Zack look bad that's exactly what I wanted to. I don't like the guy as he was portrayed in the series, most of all not during his first appearances. I didn't like him then as a person and sure as hell not as a military leader. That said I can also tell you now that I will make him look better during the next chapters. Or I will at least try *g*.**

**Then: I know neither OC, nor Bling or Logan have said much during this chapter, that will come during the next one. I mean, imagine the situation for example from OC's point of view: There is a bunch of genetically enhanced soldiers in front of you arguing about how, why and when they're gonna trigger off a small war. I believe even a woman as courageous as Original Cindy would remain quiet and observe the whole situation at first. And as I said, there will be more about Max's ordinary friends in the next chapter and I will also try to get a little bit deeper into the stories of the '09ers.**

**Well, you know what to do, right? R&R, please (and no, not the military r&r, please! *g*)**


	17. It's him

**Okay, thanks a lot again to all of you, you're awesome. Now this is gonna be the last chapter before the actual attack. Some of you liked the small input with the NCIS, some didn't. Well, I can only say as much: This is ****not**** gonna be a crossover. The NCIS itself is not gonna play an important role, you won't read much about them, I can promise that much, but I'm gonna need Victoria to fulfil a promise I made to one of you some time ago.**

**cappsy:** Glad you liked it. I don't think there is a '09er missing. Perhaps you're missing Ben but well, we all know what happened to him. Kind of sad, actually, I liked the character. Thanks for the review.

**Taeniaea:** Welcome back and of course thanks to you, too.

**Nattylovesu:** Well, I thought Max considering her old unit as '09ers could surprise some people, but you're gonna get some more of that in this chapter. About the marines, as I said, it will be explained later.

**452max:** Yes, I did not forget the rest of unit two, you'll get to hear from them in this chapter. Thanks again!

**Divine Fighter:** Well, for the reasons given above I don't really like Zack, so it was quite obvious he and Ares would clash. But as much as I would like to do that, the two of them fighting will not likely happen. Just not the right time, perhaps later. Thanks to you, too.

**Alan Grey:** There you are again! I see what you mean about me getting lost in the details, I'll try to gain some speed, promise. Anyway, why I don't like Zack? I think he is a great soldier and his decision to leave Manticore was both a bold and yet courageous move. But what really bugged me in the series was that he decided to keep his siblings apart after the escape – you don't do this to your unit for a variety of reasons – and second that he still thought he could order Max around like they were still back at Manticore. They had decided to leave and so not being a military unit anymore, something he seemed to have forgotten, at least in my eyes. And what made me kind of angry was the fact that he kept Max away from her siblings. So, in short, I think he is a great soldier and could be a capable leader, but he lets his personal feelings cloud his jugdement, that's why I have a problem with him sometimes. Just don't like his general attitude. But you'll see I won't make him look to bad in this chapter and he'll probably get some screen time in the future.

About the NCIS. Well, it was a decision I knew not everybody was gonna like but as I said before this will not be a crossover, so don't worry about that. And about some action; next chapter.

Anyway, thanks a lot again for your input, keeps me on track. Hope you're still out there.

* * *

Max's old siblings took their time discussing the whole deal. The four transgenics loyal to Lydecker waited on the balcony almost an hour but they were not bored. Too much had happened in very short time and they were all deep in thoughts. Max was mostly reflecting on how her connection to her old unit had changed. Sure, she somehow still saw them as her brothers and sisters but she also knew they were '09ers. With a frown she realized she did not consider herself a '09er anymore. She couldn't say for sure when this change had happened but she knew she was a member of unit two now. The realization hit her hard and she sighed, shaking her head. Why had her life always to be so complicated? She had known her relation to Logan and Bling had already changed but from how she had looked at her even OC seemed to see her as somebody else now; not that Max could blame her. It didn't happen every day you found out your best friend was an artificially bred super-soldier.

And it wasn't just that. She was also asking herself how the way her siblings of unit two treated each other had changed. Sure, they thought of each other as a family, too, considered each other brother and sister, but for some of the that had changed as well; Wolf and Kyla, Nova and Havoc.

'_Max and Alec?'_ the tiny voice who had already taunted her when they left Fortress Delta suddenly spoke up again in her head.

'_Shut it!'_ Max mentally yelled and suddenly felt frustrated. Then she remembered something, or at least she thought she remembered it, she wasn't sure. She furtively looked at Ares.

Kyla looked at her, sensing her sudden distress but before she could say anything the door behind them opened and they all turned around.

"We're ready" Zane informed them briefly – but friendly – and they nodded. Kyla and Kara went inside but when Ares wanted to follow them Max held him back.

"Ares? Do you have a second?" she asked rather hesitantly.

"Of course" he replied with a small, worried frown. "What is it?"

"In the cargo bay, when I was out…you were with me all the time, right?"

"Yeah, I was. We thought it would be better if somebody remained with you" he nodded. "Why?"

"Did I…did I say something?"

"Uh, yeah, you did. Most of it didn't make much sense, though. You were pretty out of it."

"I guess I was" she laughed nervously. "Did I talk about somebody in particular?"

He took his time before he replied, eyeing her attentively. Finally he nodded.

"You called me Alec. And you asked me to make 'it' stop" he explained calmly. Max lowered her head and blushed; so her memories had been right. Dammit, she really didn't need this kind of problem right now! She wasn't with Alec. Damn, sometimes she couldn't even stand him, most of all when he was being his cocky self – which he was quite often, by the way. But if this information got out her siblings would of course assume she had the hots for him and it would be a nightmare to convince them she didn't. The Delta suddenly chuckled gently which caused her to look at him with a mixture of slight anger and surprise. He grinned broadly but not mockingly. "Don't worry, I won't tell the others."

After a second Max nodded, somehow relieved that at least for now she wouldn't have to worry about this particular problem.

"Thank you" she said quietly

"You're welcome. Let's go inside and see what your old unit has decided" he offered with an understanding smile and she nodded, thankful this weird moment was over and that he didn't seem to hold her mishap against her.

The others were waiting for them and they sat down.

"We're in" Syl said after a long moment of silence. "But there's still a lot to talk about."

They nodded in understanding; of course there was.

"First we need to know what kind of information you need" Zane explained, "and how you intend to get it."

"We need to know where Wolf is located. If he leaves the compound and if yes, how many operatives are with him." Max decided it was for the best if she – and not Kyla or Ares – did the talking for the moment. "Once we know that we have to look for a weakness in their defenses."

"I think I can help with that" Logan spoke up and instantly all eyes were on him. "Somebody who is calling himself 'S' has been sending messages to Eyes Only for some time now. According to him Wolf has become something like Renfro's bodyguard. S sends me a message every time Renfro leaves the base."

"That would make our job a lot easier" Kyla spoke up. "Renfro has to leave the facility eventually to meet with the committee or the Alliance."

"I agree, but somebody who has access to this kind of information must be an insider" Ares pointed out. "Who inside Manticore would give you this information so freely? It could be a trap."

"Only one way to find out" Kyla grinned. "We watch them the next time the leave the facility, this way we can find out if your source is telling us the truth."

"Let's not overshoot the mark here already" Max reminded her. "We're still in the planning phase. What about equipment and weapons? If we run into them by accident I'd like to have the necessary means to defend myself."

"We've been busy, little sister" Krit grinned. "In the basement of this cozy building you'll find probably everything we'll need."

Max couldn't help but grin as well. Krit had always been one to like his 'toys', as he called all sorts of weaponry.

"Who's gonna lead the mission?" Tinga suddenly wanted to know. All of a sudden they were looking at Zack and Kyla. To everyone's surprise the black-haired female shook her head.

"I certainly won't" she informed them matter-of-factly. "I'm too close to Wolf so if anything goes south it will be better to have somebody in charge who is one hundred percent impartial."

Max gave her sister an admiring look; she hadn't thought Kyla would be able to let somebody else have command without any objections but apparently the soldier within her had taken over and let her see what was best for the mission.

"Then who's it gonna be?" Zack asked. It was clear Kyla wouldn't accept him as CO and most certainly none of the other '09ers either. Out of an instinct he looked at Bling but the huge man just shook his head.

"Forget it" Logan's bodyguard shook his head. "I was a Ranger, okay, but I was only a Sergeant. This is something one of you has to do."

"Well, there are not many options left, I'd say" Max said with an all too kind smile and looked at Ares.

"Yeah, right!" he snorted. "Just put it on the neutral guy."

"Why not?" Kyla asked. She seemed to like the idea. "You're neither from my unit nor are you a '09er and you have the necessary military experience. You are a platoon leader, after all."

Ares glared at her for a few seconds, clearly not happy with the whole situation. But he couldn't deny she had a point there. He looked at Zack.

"What about you?" he wanted to know.

"Given the circumstances it is probably the best choice" the blond X5 admitted grudgingly and the others nodded. "But if I only suspect for one second you're selling us out, you're not gonna like what I will do."

"Same here" Logan spoke up, but with less of an open thread.

"Fair enough" the Delta grinned sourly. "Okay, let's be clear about this; if you all agree I will lead this mission from now on, which means you do what I tell you to do, no arguments, no backtalk. I'm open to suggestions but I will make the decisions."

"No objections here" Syl nodded seriously. Even after all those years outside Manticore she still recognized a leader when she saw one and this young man, although not an X5, seemed to have Max's trust which was good enough for her, although she definitely needed to talk to her little sister. One after the others the rest of her siblings nodded.

"Good" Ares finally sighed. "Tomorrow we will start with the preparations. For now I think it would be best if those of us without shark DNA get some sleep, we have a lot of work to do and I need you all focused. And that includes you as well, Max!"

"I have shark DNA!" she objected.

"And you just suffered the worst case of the shakes I have seen since I was a child" Kyla interrupted her. "You need it."

"I don't" came the growled answer.

"Don't make me pull rank" Ares warned her sternly. She glared at him with defiance but finally nodded. "Good. We start with the first briefing in six hours. Good night everyone!"

He stood up and left the room without another word, probably going out onto the balcony again. One after the other the rest of them started to move as well, most of them mounting the stairs and heading towards their respective bedrooms. Logan and Cindy wanted to speak with Max but Kyla held them back.

"Tomorrow" she reminded them sternly, but not hostile at all. She had accepted long ago that Logan Cale was not her enemy but that would not prevent her from looking out for her sister first. "I will not hinder you to talk with her but right now she needs sleep. The seizures were severe and although she does not look like it she needs to rest now. You'll have more than enough time, I promise."

Logan and Cindy both glared at her, clearly not happy with her interruption, but the calm but utterly determined look in the short-haired transgenic's eyes made it clear she would not discuss this. Finally Logan nodded.

"Take the last bedroom to the left" he informed her briskly. "There are sleeping bags for all of you."

"Thank you, sir. Come on, Kara." The X7 jumped up and together they made their way upstairs where Max was already waiting for them.

"I don't need a babysitter, Kyla" she growled. "If I want to talk to them, I will!"

"I'm just worried. You need to regain some strength and as I said there will be more than enough time to talk" Kyla replied but she could see her argument was falling on deaf ears. She sighed, feeling the stress of their journey finally threatening to overwhelm her. "Max, you're right, I'm not your babysitter; I'm your sister and I'm afraid you're just exhausting yourself too much. You scared me pretty much on that plane."

To her surprise Max eyes suddenly softened and a small smile tucked at her lips.

"You never said that before" she almost whispered.

"Yeah, well, what can I say? I've never been very good with this whole emotional thing" Kyla admitted slightly embarrassed. "But I really mean it. So do me a favor and go get some sleep, both of you."

Max nodded with a soft smile. "Okay, come on, Kara."

Together with her X7 twin she went to their bedroom and closed the door behind themselves, but not without giving Kyla one last thankful glance. The black-haired transgenic sighed relieved and went back to the living room where she found Krit, Syl, Zane and Ares sitting on the couches again. With a barely suppressed yawn she sat down beside the Delta soldier.

"Was I not clear about you getting some sleep?" he asked her rhetorically.

"Later" she mumbled. "And I am partially shark. You said the briefing will be in six hours and I need three hours of sleep to be on top of my game again. Besides, they're still up as well."

"'09ers" he shrugged. "Apparently they're really all as stubborn as Max described them."

"You have no idea" Zane gave him a wry grin. "You should see Zack when he's really angry. Quite amusing."

"I can imagine" Ares laughed. After that they remained in silence for about a minute until Krit spoke up, asking the question that had been on his mind for some time now.

"So, for how long have you been screwing our little sister?"

"WHAT?" Ares was grateful he was already sitting because this one would surely have knocked him off his feet. Everybody in the room was staring at Krit with wide eyes, even his fellow '09ers.

"Well, she obviously likes you" he expressed, trying to sound casually and ignoring the disbelieving looks Zane and Syl were giving him. "And you seem close to her."

"We're not like that!" Ares growled once he had regained some of his composure.

"Why not? I mean, isn't it obvious?"

"Stop playing matchmaker already, you perv!" Syl hissed and hit him in the chest.

"Various reasons" the Delta explained. "I do care about her, but not like that."

"I surely won't agree with my little brother here" Zane spoke up, giving Krit who was eyeing both him and Syl suspiciously, a weird glance "but still; why would you care about her? And about Kyla and Kara, hell, even about Wolf? They're not your unit, they're not even SRTU."

"That's something you probably can't understand" the Swiss transgenic shrugged. "It comes with fighting together. I'm not talking about a training mission here, but about fighting in a war at each other's side. That's something none of you has ever experienced. I couldn't care less whether they were SRTU, Manticore or ordinaries. That's just the way it is, it's difficult to explain."

Zane looked at him thoughtfully and once again Ares had a feeling working together with the dark-haired transgenic would be easy. He was the calmest of the '09ers, yet attentive and determined. The Delta could easily see him as a sniper or a recon unit, had he not fled from Manticore a decade ago.

"You saw a lot of action during the war against the Russians, I assume" was Syl's quiet interruption. Kyla could feel how the Delta transgenic at her side tensed when that particular chapter of his past was mentioned.

"I did" he answered in a low voice. "More than I like to admit."

"Then why are you still doing it? I mean, with your experience and your knowledge of the outside world it would be so easy for you to just disappear, slip away during a training mission for example. The same goes for you, Kyla. I don't get it. Do you really like what they force you to do?"

"They're not forcing us and it's not about whether we like it or not" Kyla answered for her friend, feeling the tension in the room rise again. She had hoped they would be able to avoid that topic but if the blond X5 wanted to bring it up, so be it. "It's about whether we can do it or not. We're combat models. We have been designed to fight, all of us, even those who are not combat units. We are trained to protect those around us, those who cannot fight for themselves, for our country and our way of life. And abandoning Manticore – or in Ares' case the SRTU – would not only mean abandoning an organization, it would mean to deceive and leave behind our unit, our family. As it has been said before, your unit is not the only where you care about each other."

"Still" Syl continued with a stubborn look on her face. "I just can't…"

"Syl!" she was softly interrupted by Krit. "Stop it. They have their point of view, we have ours. We're not here to discuss our ways of life, but to help them getting Max's twin out of Manticore. Okay?"

She glared at him for a few seconds, clearly not happy about his interruption but finally she nodded. Kyla gave the black-haired young man and appreciative nod – she had not thought he would be the one to put an end to this discussion – which he returned calmly.

"Is everybody alright?" their thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Logan entered the room. "I'm going to get some sleep as well, do you need something?"

"Nah, we're good, Logan" Zane informed him. "Krit and I are on guard duty and Syl just can't leave his side."

That gave him another burning glare from the blond female which he pretended not to notice.

"Uhm…actually there is something we need to do as soon as possible" Ares said with hesitation. He looked from Logan to Kyla who was giving him an inquiring look, then back to the ordinary. "Could you establish a connection with Fortress Delta, sir? We need to contact our superiors."

"Of course, it shouldn't take too long" Logan nodded. He was starting to like this Delta transgenic. "And call me Logan, please."

Kyla on the other hand closed her eyes and groaned loudly. "Damn! I was so **not** looking forward to have this conversation!"

* * *

"Still so angry, Blade?" Alec taunted but regretted it only a second later when he barely avoided one of her attacks.

"You talk too much" the Asian woman answered briskly, charging at him without hesitation. The whole unit with the exception of Jondy, who was in the command center doing some sort of programming stuff again, was in the gym training hand-to-hand combat and of course he, Alec, had to end up with Blade as his sparring partner. He knew she was still mad at him for the comment he had made about her and Ares the night Max and the others had disappeared, but until now she had not let lose her wrath. Yet.

"It's just" he continued in between her kicks and blows, "You still…did not…give me that beating…you've promised me."

His lack of concentration was immediately punished when she found a gap in his defenses and broke through with an incredibly strong combination, hitting him square in the chest two times, knocking the wind out of him and before he could react she let two low-kicks follow. With a pained grunt he went down onto the mat and she was on top of him in a second, holding him down in a tight grip.

"Like I said: You talk too much." her voice and eyes were cold as most of the time lately, "And about that beating: All in good time. For now I need you ready to be deployed at all times."

She let go of him and stood up. After a second he accepted her extended hand and got up as well.

"But at least you're getting better" she admitted with a rare and small smile. "If you would keep that mouth of yours shut I'd probably even had to make some effort."

"Hey, I'm not that easy to take down, am I?" he exclaimed in mock shock. Blade's smile grew a little bit wider and she shook her head.

"No, you aren't. But I still have to remind you sometimes that in hand-to-hand I'm more than capable of kicking your ass."

He nodded and grinned while they both went a little bit to the side, watching their siblings fighting against each other. He picked up a bottle of water and drank thirstily all the while glancing at her secretly. She was watching the training fights with interest and to his surprise he could see less of the hard edge on her features than usually. She actually seemed to enjoy herself for once, well, as far as a combat model as Blade would ever enjoy herself during training.

"That's better" he said after a few seconds.

"Huh?" She seemed seriously perplex for a moment.

"That was the first time I've seen you smile in days" he explained. "I'm worried about them, too, but they can take care of themselves. Don't let it eat you up."

"Easy for you to say" she grumbled, her defenses coming up again. He sighed and shook his head. This woman really seemed to like punishing herself. Ever since Kyla had decided to go on that stupid mission with Max and Ares he had acted as the temporary CO of unit two like he had done it back at Manticore whenever she and Wolf had been deployed. So far it had worked well; after all he had led his siblings many times before and he knew what a commander needed to do. But nevertheless he couldn't deny this wasn't like any other situation they had ever been in and his respect for both Wolf and Kyla had grown as they had been the ones to lead them all the weeks and months since their desertion. Unit two was tense and nervous. They were anxiously waiting for any news from their siblings. This wasn't like all the times before when some of them had been deployed for a mission and the others had to stay in the Gilette facility; it was much, much more dangerous and their worry started to show and Blade was no exception, not by a long shot.

And of course there was also Kara. It didn't take a genius to figure out the young X7 had gone after Max and Kyla. Once they had discovered the girl was missing there had almost been a revolt and it had taken both Lydecker's and Alec's efforts to calm down the American transgenics and to stop them from finally deserting and going after her. It had pained him that he was forced to order them to stand down but like before there was no other option; Hayden and O'Neill had reported that Kara was missing about four hours after Ares, Max and Kyla had left the Fortress. Now maybe for an ordinary that wasn't much but to a transgenic travelling on foot in a terrain as rough as the Swiss Alps four hours were an eternity. They had argued, they had cursed and begged him to let them go but he knew deep inside they were soldiers and finally he had ended the discussion with one sharp order. He had, however, been very surprised to learn that Lydecker almost had more difficulties to hold back O'Neill, Hayden and Coleman. The three former Manticore black ops soldiers had been so adamant to go and bring Kara back the Colonel had almost considered threatening to shoot them in the legs when finally together with Alec he had been able to convince them going on a hopeless crusade would not do any of them any good.

"It isn't and you know it" he corrected her. "I want to go after them every minute I'm awake and I keep dreaming about what could happen to them. But they have been outside without us before, most of all Kyla and although I will so knock him around once I get to lay my hands on him Ares has a lot of experience, too. They will be fine and if not, after the two weeks are up, we're going."

"I know that" Blade agreed but sounded frustrated nonetheless. "They have the experience, the knowledge, the training and somewhere they possibly even have the allies they need. I know all of that. It still doesn't make me feel any better. They're out there all on their own while we have to stay here. _He_'s out there. It isn't fair!"

"I know" he assured her, knowing all too well who 'he' was. The whole unit knew she and Ares had fallen for each other but they didn't talk about it; that was something private. Not that it was his place to reprimand the Asian transgenic for having developed personal feelings towards another operative. He knew he wasn't being impartial all the time either, most of all not when his thoughts were about a certain female X5 with dark brown, curly hair, the face of an angel and a body to die…

'_No, bad thought, bad thought!'_ he cursed himself. _'I so need to stop that!'_

He sighed again. "Look, Blade, I know this isn't easy and if you need somebody to vent your anger on, I'm here. I'm sure we'll hear from them soon and then we will know what to do next, okay?"

"Yeah, okay" she agreed heavily. Then suddenly both of them became aware of the rest of their unit staring at them, some of them with surprise on their faces, but most grinning broadly.

"What?" Blade scolded. Oh, alright, she knew what those glances meant. "Can't two friends have a break and do some small-talk."

"Oh, so you're friends again?" Nova retorted quickly and with a mean smirk. Blade narrowed her eyes but before she could answer Jondy stormed into the gym.

"They made contact!" She was panting like she'd just blurred all the way from command to the gym; which was probably exactly what she had done. She didn't wait for an answer but stormed out again. It took the rest of her siblings about half a second to process that piece of information and then they raced after Jondy without hesitation.

They ran through the tunnels so fast it took them only about half a minute to get from the gym to command and Alec already knew there would be rumors going on throughout the fortress within an hour. The Deltas – most of all the ones they had already gone on missions with – seemingly still trusted them, at least after the initial shock from the attack against the Echo generation had worn off, but the whole unit two running through the underground tunnels like Renfro and the whole Alliance were after them was certainly something that would make people ask questions.

However, once they reached the communication station, a section next to the command center and not command itself, all those thoughts vanished when he saw Jondy who was already sitting at her computer again. But the most important things were the two people that stared back at him from the big main screen on the wall.

"_Hey, there"_ Kyla greeted them once she could see the rest of unit two pouring into the room. Of course, the whole room was equipped with several webcams.

"You sure took your time!" Nova exclaimed. Just like the rest of her unit she was beaming and both Kyla and Ares couldn't suppress an amused but nonetheless happy smile.

"How are you?"

"Is everything okay?

"Do you need help?"

Only Alec, Artemis and Havoc kept their calm.

"_Relax, all of you"_ Kyla laughed. _"We're alright. How are things going back in Switzerland?"_

"Boring as hell" Blade growled trying to look annoyed but failing miserably. Looking at Ares' content and relaxed face on the screen made her feel comforted in some weird way she didn't understand, but right now she didn't care and she too smiled broadly.

"Where's Max? And Kara?" Havoc wanted to know and Alec felt a stab of jealousy. That was his question!

'_Whoa! Wait a second! Where did that come from?'_

But he wasn't given time to ponder that question as they all caught the brief flicker of unease in both their friends eyes.

"Is everything alright with them?" Brin immediately demanded to know, feeling the tension in the small room rise very quickly.

"_It is, don't worry"_ Ares reassured them. _"They are fine, both of them. Right now they're probably asleep, they needed it."_

Max and Kara **needed** sleep? That was definitely not an assuring answer. Kyla could see the growing worry in all of her siblings' faces and decided to step in.

"_Max has suffered from the seizures"_ she explained. _"She got it pretty rough, but everything's okay again. We got her some tryptophan and she should be at a hundred percent again in no time. She was just exhausted, that's all."_

"She had the seizures?" Considering her almost always totally controlled emotions Artemis looked really worried.

"But that's impossible!" Jace piped up. "The X5-serie has been cured!"

"_That's what we thought as well"_ Kyla nodded gravely. _"But apparently that was not as permanent as everybody believed. We still need the tryptophan, so make sure you get enough of it and take some with you every time you leave the base."_

"Will do" Alec assured her in a controlled voice. "What else?"

He usually was good at not showing his anger and this was no exception. But Kyla had known him since she could remember and easily detected the small strained note in his voice and the look in his eyes. She pressed her lips together and looked away from the screen for a second.

"_There is nothing else, not right now"_ she finally replied. She looked back at her family, her eyes travelling from one of her siblings to the other until they came to rest on Alec and she sighed heavily. _"Listen, Alec, I'm sorry that I put you in this situation but there's no use in arguing about it right now. It's done and I will go all the way through this until the end. When we're done I will answer for what I did, to you and the Colonel. Okay?"_

"Okay" he agreed after some hesitation. He had not expected her to admit so openly she had violated the rules. "What's your plan?"

"_Recon near Gilette"_ Ares answered. _"Once we found out how we can get our hands on Wolf we will contact to. You come over here, we attack, then we retreat back to Fortress Delta. Simple."_

"Did you develop some sort of megalomania on your journey?" Jondy finally managed to say. Like everybody else in the room she was either staring the Delta transgenic in disbelief or in slight shock. "Kyla, did you hit him with a fry pan or what?"

"_Not that I remember"_ the black-haired X5 laughed, seriously amused by her siblings' expressions. _"No, seriously, it's a little bit more complicated than how he puts it, but in the end, that's the plan. We can't tell you for sure right now, we'll first have to go through all our intel. As soon as we've developed some sort of battle plan we'll call you again."_

"Where would you already have gotten intel from?" Havoc demanded to know with a small frown but then suddenly grinned. "Don't tell me! That Cale-guy?"

"No way!" Nova exclaimed when they both nodded in unison. "He's helping you? That's cool!"

"_He and a few other people"_ Ares confirmed. He didn't think revealing that the '09ers were a part of the operation would be a good idea, yet. _"We go through everything he has collected and get in touch with you again tomorrow evening, okay? All in all I suggest you start with the preparations already; once we've found what we're looking for you'll have to be fast."_

"Sounds good" Alec agreed, both his composure and voice clearly showing he was the one in the room to make that decision. "We'll be ready. Just make sure Max and Kara are up next time, will you?"

"_Of course"_ Kyla assured him calmly but both she and Ares grinned mischievously which Alec deliberately ignored.

"_And make sure Lydecker's gonna be there next time as well"_ the Delta soldier informed them. _"He needs to know about this."_

"Will do" Alec nodded but caught the small and uneasy frown Kyla gave the Swiss transgenic. Of course, the Colonel would probably tear strips off her. Well, too late to be worried about that; she had made her choice. "Anything else?"

For a brief moment they all could see there were a lot of things the two transgenics wanted to talk about but they also knew they couldn't afford to keep the connection established for too long. It was just too dangerous. Ares eyes found Blade again and he smiled briefly at her, a gesture she returned, while Kyla looked at every single one of her siblings with deep concern but also some kind of hope. Finally she shook her head.

"_No, there isn't anything else. Not now. We will contact you tomorrow evening. Take care! Out."_

"Be careful" Alec said and they both nodded before the screen went black again.

"She never was one for emotional farewells" Jace stated dryly after the short and rather sudden end of their communication. A few of her sisters and brothers snickered.

"No, she definitely never was" Brin agreed.

"Okay, let's get back to our quarters" Alec finally said. "I need a shower."

"Oh, no" Jondy forcefully objected. "You stay here, Alec!"

"Why's that?" he wanted to now rather surprised.

"Because they apparently didn't want to be disturbed and so Cale had to hack his way through the firewalls again so we could talk to them without Meyer noticing. But that's only temporarily so whoever is supervising the network right now has probably already noticed that something's wrong and as soon as Meyer hears about this he will come here and I get all the blame again. Oh no, but not this time!"

"But why me?" Alec wanted to know. "You know I don't have a clue about computers!"

"But you are our beloved and worshiped temporary commanding officer" Blade reminded him with an evil smirk. "Good luck!"

She and the rest of the unit left the room, some of them glancing mischievously at Alec until the only people left were Jondy and him. He briefly considered leaving as well but as soon as he moved Jondy shot him a glare that made him immediately stop. Okay, he would stay then. He knew he could take her in hand-to-hand but just like her sister Max Jondy could be very, _very_ malicious if you pissed her off and he considered facing an angry Colonel Meyer and explain the situation to him was a far less difficult mission than facing her doubtlessly sneaky revenge if he left her alone now.

"Okay, how long do I have to wait?" he wanted to know.

"Last time it took him about four minutes, that time's almost up" Jondy informed him.

"So, what do I tell him?"

"Whatever he wants to know" she informed him with a sweet smile.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He couldn't help but laugh.

"Sure I do" she agreed. "Last time it got pretty rough. The guy has lots of fire if he wants to. Should be fun to watch."

Alec eyed her suspiciously; somehow she really seemed to enjoy this and the way she was talking about Meyer did not sound very calming either. After about a minute of silence he sighed in relief.

"Looks like he isn't going to…" Alec began but was cut off by a distant but quickly approaching angry voice.

"What the hell did you do to MY network again!?"

"Told you so" Jondy grinned and barely could contain herself from bursting out with laughter when looking at Alec's face. First it had been surprise, now it was a mixture of slight annoyance towards her, hesitation and incertitude. He was staring at the door and the voice came closer.

"IF THIS WAS YOUR IDEA YOU BETTER HOPE FOR GOD'S HELP BECAUSE YOU'LL NEED IT!" Colonel Meyer shouted at the top of his lungs when he stormed into the room. He briefly looked at Jondy but quickly his eyes found Alec and he recognized the male transgenic was the senior operative of the two of them. He grinned menacingly. "I thought I would find one of you in here. Hello, 494."

Hearing this Alec briefly closed his eyes and groaned.

'_Oh crap!'_

* * *

_Three days later – Wyoming_

The four black SUVs sped through the quiet forests at a speed many people would have considered irresponsible given the small road and the sometimes limited visibility. But the drivers of the four vehicles didn't care; they knew this road like the back of their hand and there was never somebody else around as it was a dead end, leading only to the Gillette Manticore facility.

The first two and the last car were filled with PsyOps guards, four in each vehicle, while in the third one there were only three passengers. The first one, the driver, was Master Sergeant Pierce, a former Army Delta Force operator and now a member of the Manticore black ops. He was only with the convoy because regulations prescribed that at least one of his kind had to be with the director of the facility whenever he – or in the current circumstances: she – left the compound. He knew Director Renfro preferred her PsyOps guards to him and the other men who had served for years under Colonel Lydecker; she had made them feel it very explicitly.

The other occupant was Elizabeth Renfro herself, sitting in the back and currently talking to Major Cullins over the phone.

"I know we need them alive" she sighed aggravated. Over the past weeks she had learned to work with leader of the military branch of the Alliance and she had to admit that he was competent, at least in his métier. But he still had a tendency to get on her nerves, most of all when he tried to discuss transgenic matters with her.

"_I'm just saying, director, I don't like that X5. Does he know?"_

"He knows what he needs to know, just like everybody else. He knows we need both 452s alive to be able to fully decode their DNA. Will that be all? I have work to do."

"_Of course"_ came the smugly reply and she hang up before he could say anything else or the two men who were with her would grow suspicious.

She growled silently and started going over some reports she had received. Yes, everybody in her entourage knew that they needed X5-452 and her X7 clone alive. Officially it was because their latest DNA scans had showed some unknown sort of anomaly which could only be fully analyzed if they were able to get their hands on live DNA – and not just some old samples – and actually that wasn't even a complete lie. But of course she would keep the details behind her reasons to herself. She frowned and tried to concentrate on the reports she'd received but she couldn't. She'd just come back from another meeting with the senate committee and was in a rather bad mood. They still did not allow her to use PsyOps new procedure on any of the X5s as there had not been something to complain about in their behavior. Ever since Lydecker had fled the X-series showed a perfect discipline and so the committee – at least most of them – didn't consider it necessary to take preemptive action.

Of course Renfro knew this was because they still had not forgotten about 452 and 734. She sometimes almost regretted the harsh reindoctrination she had ordered to be used on them; it wasn't worth all the trouble she had to go through now. But of course, it was only a matter of time until all Manticore transgenics would just be like the one who was currently sitting in the passenger seat.

It was X5-451 – or Wolf, as even she sometimes called him, but always in a derisive and mocking manner. He was, like the rest of the men in the convoy, in full combat gear and was observing their environment nonstop. The reindoctrination had worked so well on him she had decided he would accompany her whenever she went outside Manticore's perimeter fence; what better insurance could she have against unit two than one of their own? He was completely loyal, emotionless and of pure, cold concentration. The perfect soldier.

She couldn't see it right now but there was a small cut on his left cheek, right below the eye. It was only superficial, nothing to worry about, most about not for a transgenic. But it was nonetheless another proof of how much he had changed and an assurance for her about his loyalties. She had given it to him herself this morning. Out of a strange sensation of curiousness she had suddenly ordered him to stand at attention and delivered the small injury. He didn't even flinch.

She couldn't help but grin when she thought about what had become of her defiant and angry enemy over the time of a few weeks. The moment when he broke had been somewhat satisfying, although she had hoped it would be more…spectacular. He had moaned in pain, screamed, insulted them and he had even cried from weakness but what had angered her most was that he had never begged. Even at the end it had just happened without much spectacle, from one second to another. She still remembered how after weeks of torture the last bit of resistance had vanished from his eyes, driven back by the relentless assault of Doctor Ogawa's combination of drugs, hallucinations, pain and nanotechnology. They hadn't stopped there, continued for some time, just to make sure, and by now she was a hundred percent sure there was nothing left of Wolf, there was only X5-451 and nothing more. Maybe even something less. Sometimes she almost wished his old unit would try and attack her; she wanted to see their faces when they realized their 'brother' was fully hers now.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Pierce suddenly slammed on the brakes and she was thrown forward and hit the back of the passenger seat. She hissed and opened her mouth to curse his actions but before she could get a single word out she heard the black ops soldier swear and at the same time the typical metallic 'click' when 451 switched off the safety of his weapon. Slowly she sat up and understood why the Master Sergeant had to stop the car so quickly; the two SUVs ahead of them had stopped without warning, making it impossible for Pierce to get past them. The PsyOps guards had already left their vehicles and were spread out, weapons at the ready and suspiciously watching the dark woods around them. When she turned around she could see the occupants of the last car in their convoy had done so as well.

"Back!" the X5 growled, his P90 raised and ready to fire through the window.

"I can't!" Pierce replied with gritted teeth. He had already engaged the reverse gear but there was a problem. "That idiot behind us is too close. We're stuck!"

"Stay with her!" 451 ordered briskly. "Keep your head down, director!"

Wolf would have been surprised at the look of worry in Renfro's eyes and it would've probably stunned him that she complied and lay down. 451 however just noticed it as a fact and got out of the car.

"Command, command" he tried to reach the base. "This is X5-451. Convoy has been stopped. Deploy Emergency Response Team immediately!"

"_Roger that, 451"_ he got the answer from the officer of the watch. _"Deploying ERT. Any contacts?"_

"None until know. We're holding position, over and out!"

He was angry, but he didn't show it. Something like that should never happen. Their mission – the only mission of this convoy – was to get Director Renfro safely from the airport to the facility. Usually he shouldn't even leave the car as her security was his only concern but with her car stuck – stuck! – between two of their own vehicles there was no choice. He could only hope this was no trap; Pierce was an excellent driver but if he couldn't maneuver there was no chance he would be able to evade an incoming rocket or even escape an ambush. He barked an order at the driver of the SUV behind them to get his car out of the way. The man looked at him a little bit puzzled – he was clearly not used to take orders from a transgenic – but after a brief moment of hesitation complied.

In the shadows of the trees four dark figures lay on the humid ground and watched the whole scene taking place. Zane and Tinga hadn't been able to hold back a quiet but seriously amused and mean snicker when the first SUV had slammed into the obstacle they had created; they had stolen the truck of the local forest supervisor and Zane had managed to topple it over, blocking the street. It hadn't been a completely safe maneuver but he was still one of the best when it came to drive – or destroy – vehicles. If anybody would investigate what had happened they would most surely come to the conclusion that some drunk whippersnappers had stolen the car for a stupid sashay. They had left enough empty beer cans in the back of the car to make that speculation possible.

Ares and Kyla on the other hand remained stoic, although you could see some amusement in Ares' eyes as well but the shorthaired X5 was tense; her eyes searched the whole convoy for a sign of her partner, she listened intensely to every shout and every order that was given and when the passenger door of the third SUV finally opened and a black clad figure appeared she almost gasped.

"It's him" she whispered.

"I see him" Ares replied quietly, his calm but stern voice reminding her to stay focused. Her eyes followed Wolf's every move, she took in everything she could; his apparent tenseness, the sharp and unusual cold voice, they way he watched his surroundings like he knew exactly they were there. It was him, undoubtedly, and her whole body screamed at her to get up and run towards him.

But she didn't. Although she could tell with absolute certainty that the male transgenic was her mate she also knew he had been turned. Whatever Renfro and PsyOps had done to him it had worked; if she would show herself now he would most certainly identify her as hostile and probably even shoot her. That thought sent a wave of burning hatred through her mind and she shifted slightly and looked through the scope of her weapon at the third vehicle, the one he had left. Even though she could not see her Kyla knew Renfro had to be in there, most probably in the back seat. It would be so easy, pulling the trigger and keep shooting until her clip was empty and that witch would be…

"Kyla! Relax!" Ares hissed. When she didn't react he narrowed his eyes at her and his voice changed to a more menacing tone. "That's an order, soldier!"

The black-haired woman snapped out of her intense focus like she had been slapped. Almost immediately she relaxed and looked at him. Finally she nodded. The Swiss transgenic sighed silently and shook his head before he returned his attention to the convoy again.

Wolf had started to shout orders at the PsyOps guards and most of them moved and took cover around the vehicles while the others moved to get the car wreck out of the way.

"How long do you think it will take them to get moving again?" Tinga wanted to know.

"It's a heavy car" Zane replied and shrugged. "A few minutes, I guess."

"It won't take us so long to attack them" Ares joined their conversation. "And I don't think we will use the same trick again."

"Then what do you have in mind?" They wouldn't be a part of the actual attack but nevertheless Tinga was curious.

However, before the Delta soldier could answer they suddenly heard the sound of several helicopters approaching their position.

"That must be their emergency response" Zane spoke out loud what everybody was thinking.

"Most likely" Kyla agreed. "Took them six minutes. Pretty fast. Let's get out of here!"

One after the other they disappeared into the twilight without anybody in the convoy noticing. Kyla was the last one to leave, her eyes firmly on Wolf as long as possible.

* * *

"Did you see him?" Max hadn't even taken of her camo jacket before she asked the question.

"We did" Tinga assured her. "Relax, little sister. Let's get you all inside first."

Max, together with Krit, Syl, and Zack had been watching the facility itself, trying to figure out what had been changed during their absence. Once the Emergency Response Team had taken off the four transgenics had left the scene as fast as possible and made their way back to their improvised center of command. It was the same hotel her old unit had used when they had tried to get her and Jondy out so many months ago. The man in the porter's lodge didn't even look up anymore when they arrived or left; apparently he had grown accustomed to armed people living in his hotel and he didn't make the mistake to sell them out; it wouldn't do him any good and as long as they stayed they would at least pay the rent.

When they arrived to their room of the rest of the team was already waiting for them and over the next twenty minutes they exchanged all the information they had gathered today. Syl could see her little sister was excited about hearing that her brother was still alive and she slowly began to understand her. She might not like it but X5-451 was her genetic twin. Maybe they – she, Krit and the rest of the '09ers – really had to accept Max had found a new place where she wanted to be, a new unit.

"Okay, recapitulation" Zack spoke up. "It took them about six minutes to send and emergency response team, the guards in the convoy are well-trained but obviously not primarily for that task and the perimeter guards around the compound have been almost doubled. In addition Renfro seems to rely more on her PsyOps guards than on the Manticore black ops."

"That's not surprising" Krit piped up. "They're Lydecker's men, after all. She probably doesn't fully trust them."

"Whatever, apparently you have about five minutes to attack the convoy, grab Wolf and get out again. It's possible."

"It is" Kyla agreed and gave Zack a brief but nonetheless thankful glance. She still did not like him, but he had certainly done his part in this operation and for that she was grateful. "Anything else?"

Max exchanged a brief glance with her team before she shook her head.

"Okay" Logan said. He had insisted on coming with them but had left Bling and OC in Seattle. Of course those two didn't like that at all and most of all Cindy wanted to come with Max but Logan had his reasons and after a few rather harsh arguments and some promises they had finally agreed. "Then I guess it's time to call the big kahuna again."

They had made contact with Lydecker before they had left Seattle and promised to call again once they had the intel they needed. Kyla suddenly looked very unhappy. During that second call the Colonel had looked at her more than just disappointed; it seemed to her like he was almost disgusted. When she thought back she knew she'd liked it better if he had shouted and insulted her than having to remember that look.

It took Logan a few minutes to establish the connection with Fortress Delta. After the last incident Colonel Meyer had apparently finally decided to give them an open line so they could communicate without breaking through his firewalls every time so it was a much faster process now. Max, Kyla , Kara and Ares stood behind Logan so the Colonel or whoever was waiting for them could see them. Zack and the rest of the '09ers on the other hand were careful to stay out of the visual field of the webcam.

"_Good evening"_ Donald Lydecker's face greeted them when the connection was finally established. _"Everybody alright?"_

"We are, sir" Max replied. "Mission accomplished."

"_Very good. What did you find out?"_

And so they gave him the short version of the day's events. The old officer listened attentively and nodded from time to time. Even when the rest of unit two and their instructors entered the room he did not turn around but remained focused on what they were telling him. Not once, however, he looked at Kyla.

"_That's very impressing"_ he admitted when they had finished. _"By the way, thank you for helping, Mister Cale. Who are those 'other people' helping you? Apparently they must be quite efficient. If they're willing we could use them for the attack."_

"I'm not doing this for you" Logan informed him short-spoken but Lydecker just shrugged.

"I'm sure they don't want to be a part of the attack force" Max hesitantly replied.

"_If this is about money tell them they will be paid as soon as the attack is over."_

"It's not about money" Max tried to explain without revealing her old unit's identity.

"_Then what is it? We could really use their help, Max."_

"I know!" She was starting to feel frustrated. "It's just…"

"It's about you" Zack suddenly said. He decided Max didn't need to lie to Lydecker anymore, after all the man already knew his face. He made a few steps forward until he was sure Lydecker could see him. The brief flicker of surprise in the older man's eyes was proof enough. "Hello, Colonel."

"_Zack. Okay, that's a surprise."_

"Really? Well, you certainly know now why we won't help you any further. We've done our part."

"_Yes, you did."_ Lydecker studied the leader of the '09ers for a few seconds until he nodded. _"You did. I know you don't want to hear it, but thank you, Zack. Tell that to Krit, Syl, Zane and Tinga as well. They're with you, aren't they?"_

"You're right. I don't want to hear it" Zack answered derisively, ignoring the last question. Lydecker only nodded and decided to change the subject. He looked back at Max.

"_We will arrive at your position in 24 hours. Prepare a wargaming until then."_

"Understood, sir."

"24 hours? How are you gonna do that?" Logan wanted to know. He knew it had taken Max and the others over a week to get into the US.

"_That's a surprise, you'll see"_ the old officer chuckled. _"I guess you and the rest of your unit will be gone by then, Zack?"_

"You can count on it, Donny" Zack grinned evilly. That answer did not only surprise everybody in the room but Lydecker as well.

"_Okay"_ the former commander of Manticore finally sighed. _"Until tomorrow, then. If you'll excuse us, we have to make preparations. Lydecker out."_

The screen went black and everybody turned towards Zack.

"Did you just call Colonel Lydecker 'Donny'?" Kara asked with of dark venom in her voice. Kyla and Max looked at him with very serious expressions and that Delta soldier did not seem to be amused either but the other '09ers and Logan were grinning broadly.

"Nice one" Syl commented and Krit nodded viciously. Zack grinned as well.

"Come on, let's get packing" he said nonchalantly and they all left the room, leaving Max, Kyla, Ares, Kara and Logan behind.

"One day I'm gonna kick his ass" Kyla growled once they were out of earshot.

"Take a number" Kara snarled quietly. She was very young, but that didn't mean she couldn't get angry.

"Yeah, he can be…a problem" Max agreed and suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "By the way, there really is another problem."

"What is it?"

"Well, you see, there was something else at the facility that has been changed. I didn't want to tell you before we talked to the Colonel. It could make things difficult."

"How difficult?" Ares asked, suddenly tense. Max usually didn't hide things, most of all not from her CO.

"Well, do you remember the hover drones we encountered in Strasbourg? Apparently Renfro has purchased some of them. She lets them fly patrol around the perimeter."

"How many?" Kyla demanded to know, her voice suddenly very cold.

"We could see about two dozen" Max informed her defiantly. "But there may be more we did not see."

Ares closed his eyes and groaned.

"Have you any idea what that means?" Kyla asked in a low voice, slowly and threateningly and stepped closer to Max. Sensing her anger the younger woman took a step back and slightly raised her hands. "Have you any goddamned idea what that means, Max? We just called the Colonel and our unit over here. What were you thinking? This could make our mission impossible!"

"We won't even be near the facility" Max explained. "And they're not as fast as a helicopter, they won't be a problem."

"And how do you know they won't change the flying patterns after today?" Kyla yelled. "If Renfro decides she wants some additional airborne escort all our plans will go straight to hell! How could you be so stupid, Max? If there's only three or four of those things the whole mission could be compromised. We don't have the necessary means to fight those drones, not in the time we have!"

"Yes, we do." Everybody looked at Logan who was still sitting in his chair and grinning like the cat who ate the canary.

* * *

Okay, that's it so far.

wargaming: military simulation, usually takes place immediately before an actual attack. You go over different scenarios and problems that could happen.

Emergency Response Team: Military unit, usually a squad or a platoon, which is completely equipped and ready to take action at all times, usually acts as the first response in case of an attack.

So, let me know what you think about it and yes, there's gonna be some fighting in the next chapter. But you know me, I won't make it easy for them. (actually I'm not even sure yet if I'm gonna let them win)

Reviews are always appreciated. (very subtle, Tolen *sigh*)


	18. Blood in the Snow

**452max:** Wish granted, they're back. Thanks for the review again!

**cappsy:** Thanks to you, too. Well, I thought it would be natural the '09ers left before unit two arrived, after all they still hate Lydecker and Manticore. So not all of them are gonna get much screen time but I get it why you think it would be nice to have some of them around and yes, I intend to have a least one of them on-screen for a while; you can guess at the end of the chapter which one. The rest of the unit will reappear after a certain time again.

**nattylovesyou**: Adrenaline junky? *gg* just kidding. Well, certainly at the beginning and towards the end of this chapter you should get enough action and I think there will be even more in the next one. Thanks!

**Alan Grey:** Thanks for pointing out the mistakes; I will correct them in the original version. I'm always glad when a native speaker does that, sometimes this language is just too complicated ;)

I think the one you're talking about – the one staying behind at Manticore – is X5-613, the commanding officer of unit five. And no, sorry, it isn't S. The identity of S will be revealed in the next two chapters, but I left a clue in this chapter who it is. I think it's not too hard to find out.

I will put the char list and a pairing guide at the end of the chapter.

Ah, Logan and his technical toys. Well, I must say for somebody like Logan an EMP sounds almost too…boring? I think I'll let him do this the old-fashioned Eyes Only-way. The idea with the backdoor is appealing and the story will go a little bit in that direction but if he had known about this before I think he would already have used that possibility earlier, so I let him discover it just know. Hackers, don't we all just love them?

Ah, damned, HUGE misunderstanding. Krit wouldn't talk about Blade as his little sister, I wanted him to talk about Max. Well, I see now that was not clear. I'm gonna change it in the original chapter to make it more clear, sorry.

And please, the cliffhanger wasn't that bad, was it? But now that you mention it there are plenty of ideas starting to take form in my head!

Anyway, thanks a lot once again!!

**Jasper's Imaginary Friend:** Welcome on board and thanks for your review, too. Well, glad you like the story so far, but as somebody once pointed out there are moments where I make it up as I go; this is one of them. I'm not completely sure yet where I wanna go with that guy, perhaps I should flip a coin. We'll see.

* * *

"Colonel, you don't have to do this" Alec tried one last time, ignoring the annoyed glare the older man gave him.

"Alec, I swear if you don't stop treating me like I was a weak old man it's gonna be you who will be left behind!" Lydecker growled.

"Understood, sir!" Alec sighed and made his way past his siblings to the cockpit. "Where are we?"

"Ten minutes from the drop zone" the pilot informed him. "30'000 feet."

"Take us to thirty-five!"

"Roger that."

While he made his way back into the cabin Alec could feel the aircraft ascending and couldn't help but smile silently in expectation; it had been some time since his last jump but nevertheless he still knew it was fun. The plan was to jump and land close to the small village near Gilette where Max and the others were waiting, then bury their parachutes and make contact with them as fast as possible. A good plan. In theory.

His siblings were doing their latest preparations, checking each other's equipment and making sure all of them would make it to the ground in one piece.

"Listen up!" Alec shouted and immediately got their attention. "We're ten minutes out. Last check in five. Once we're out I want you to form up on me immediately. If we get separated you know where the rendezvous-point is. Expect crosswinds. I'll go first, then Artemis and Blade. Colonel, you and your men follow them immediately and then the rest of you. See you on the ground!"

He got a few agreeing murmurs and saw many excited grins on his siblings' and to his surprise also on the four ordinaries' faces. Apparently they were just as antsy to finally get the jump done as he was. Nevertheless he reminded himself to keep an eye on the Colonel and on Coleman; the two former Manticore black ops surely were experienced parachutists but whether Lydecker wanted to admit it or not it had been a long time since they'd done something similar and they were going to jump into the darkness of the night. It was dangerous, yes, but although Alec was in charge of this mission they still outranked him and he knew there was no chance in hell they – or even O'Neill and Hayden – would've stayed back at Fortress Delta. One part of him still felt a little bit anxious about having them on this plane but another one felt glad the ordinaries really seemed to care and thus wanted to be a part of this mission. And it seemed the men were almost comfortable with all their equipment; it was a strange thing to see somebody like Colonel Lydecker in full combat gear, a parachute on his back and a helmet complete with oxygen mask under his arm, but the old officer seemed more vivid than Alec had seen him in a long time.

"Two minutes!" the pilot shouted. "Pressurization!"

Transgenics and ordinaries alike felt the strange sensation of the changing pressure on their eardrums and the aircraft slowed down as much as possible without going into stall. A soldier from Fortress Delta – an ordinary – with an oxygen mask already put on went to the hatch and after having secured himself to the cabin walls looked at Alec.

"Ready?"

Alec briefly glanced at the rest of his team; they all stood in the aisle behind each other and were watching him attentively, or at least he thought they were. They were all fully equipped now and their helmets with the black visors and the oxygen masks made it impossible for him to read any of their emotions.

"Report!" the X5 shouted.

"Nova okay!" the last figure shouted and patted the one in front of her on the back.

"Havoc okay!" the next one shouted and repeated the procedure.

"Lydecker okay!"

One after the other they announced that they were ready and finally Alec nodded at the soldier near the hatch and put his own helmet and mask on.

"Opening!" the man shouted and seconds later the hatch slowly opened, revealing the darkness of the night outside. Immediately the whole aircraft started bucking and shaking like an angry mustang, harsh and cold winds filled the cabin and although he was still inside the plane Alec had a hard time staying on his feet. They were lucky this plane was able to pressurize while in the air or it would have been even worse. The soldier looked at him and shouted over the roaring winds: "Advance!"

Slowly and carefully Alec took the first steps towards the open hatch until another step would get him out of the plane and supported himself on the cabin walls. He stared out into the pitch black darkness of the night and couldn't help but feeling anxious; no matter how often you did this kind of jump it remained very dangerous. A HALO jump meant they would open their parachutes only a few hundred meters above ground and doing this at night was considered the most difficult jump in existence, but it was the best call if you wanted to avoid radar detection. The fact that they were not jumping out of a plane which was actually meant to carry out such missions but a Learjet – yes, a good old and almost standard Learjet – did not do any good to his nerves either. He could feel Artemis calm and steady hands on his shoulders and was glad for this little assurance.

"_Approaching drop zone!"_ he could hear the pilot over intercom. _"Make it quick, I don't know for how long I can keep her stable!"_

Alec just nodded at the soldier at his side, a gesture which the man returned, and then they waited.

"_We're over the DZ"_ the pilot announced. _"Jump, jump, jump!"_

"Go, go, go!" the ordinary Swiss soldier shouted but Alec didn't need any more motivation. He knew it had to be done and he also knew Artemis would just push him out of the aircraft if he hesitated; they had been trained this way. Quickly he took a deep breath and then pushed himself out of the plane, praying to whoever would listen that there wouldn't be a sudden air pocket which would cause him to smash into pitch elevator of the jet.

The pure force of the air outside hit him not even the blink of an eye after he had jumped, knocking the wind out of him. Immediately he lost orientation and control over his flight attitude as he was tossed around like mad, unable to withstand the terrible force of the elements. His heart was racing, he was panting, his whole body screamed from the sudden and brutal assault. He knew he was close to panicking and did his best to get a hold of his feelings again but it wasn't that easy. Despite the night vision gear in his visor he couldn't see anything but blackness and over the speakers in his helmet he could hear the occasional grunts, moans and cursing from his teammates as they suffered exactly the same fate he did. After a few seconds that seemed to him like an eternity he finally heard Nova's voice.

"_We're clear!"_ she shouted and even over the wireless he could hear how strained she sounded.

'_So everybody jumped'_ he thought grimly while falling down to earth like a stone. _'Great, now we just have to survive this and everything's gonna be fine!'_

He tensed up even more and used all the strength he had and extended his arms, using them like some sort of wings, trying to stop all that rolling and tossing around. Finally he regained some control over his position again and after some seconds, just like he had learned it, he was stable. Still falling down like a rock, okay, but at least stable. His arms extended, his legs slightly apart he was now in a horizontal position.

"All units, this is Alec" he spoke into the radio integrated in his oxygen mask. "Everyone on me!"

"_This is Artemis"_ he could hear the female sniper. _"Approaching on your right."_

"_Blade on your left."_

A moment later the two women almost simultaneously reached him and grabbed him by the shoulders. For a few seconds it almost seemed like they would drift out of control again until the trio found a stable position.

"_Jondy inbound, right."_

"_Right behind you!"_ That was Hayden.

One after the other the whole team called in where they were approaching their quickly growing formation and faster than Alec had hoped Nova joined them as well, making the team complete. In a circle, everybody clutching to the two soldiers next to him or her, they were now quickly descending towards the ground. Alec glanced at the altimeter at his wrist.

"All units, break formation on my mark!" he ordered. "Mark!"

As one they let go off each other and 'turned' around before altering their positions so they would drift away from each other. Alec waited until he was sure to have enough distance to his team, then he opened his chute and his fall was abruptly and immediately slowed down. He looked up and around, checking for other parachutes and was relieved when after some seconds he could now see all of them, gliding down slowly and silently.

'_Now I only have to avoid any trees and breaking my legs'_ he thought with a mixture of sarcasm and relief. _'Piece of cake!'_

* * *

Not very far away a man with a bald patch was sitting in his car, rereading the e-mail he was about to send. His car was parked in a dark alley near an old apartment building and it was getting cold in the vehicle but he didn't care. He had used this spot ever since he had started to sent Logan Cale aka Eyes Only information about Renfro; apparently somebody nearby was using an unsecured wireless internet connection which allowed him to send his messages without Renfro or anybody at Manticore ever finding out. He shook his head at how stupid some civilians appeared to be while his eyes went over his latest message, making sure there was no indication of who he was.

_Dear Mr Eyes Only_

_As I don't know what you're up to and because I don't know if you're even gonna read this I'm gonna keep it short._

_Director Renfro will leave the Gilette facility in two days with her usual escort. She will be brought to the airport again and leave for Washington DC from there._

_As always X5-451 will be in the third vehicle with her. There has been an incident during her last trip – I'm pretty sure you're aware of that, aren't you? – but as far as I know there have been no changes in her security detail until now._

_Like I told you before X5-451 will carry information on him you and your associates will probably find useful._

_Have a nice day!_

_S_

The man who called himself 'S' was grinning broadly. Until now there had been no sign of Eyes Only or any of his friends but the incident in the woods outside Manticore had made it very clear to him the attack was to be expected at any time now. He couldn't wait to finally get rid of that lunatic Renfro and he was pretty sure once his old unit decided to attack not even X5-451 would be able to stop them from killing the blond witch.

It was hard to believe – given his history – but S truly hoped unit two would also be able to get their hands on Wolf and free him. His thoughts travelled back to a conversation he'd had while the young X5 had undergone reindoctrination.

"_We have to do something"_ he had said but the two other men just kept staring at him suspiciously. _"I don't know what she's up to but it's not good. You've seen now what she's doing to him and she would do that and things even worse to every transgenic in here if she could."_

"_What do you want us to do?"_ one of his to-be co-conspirators, a tall Afro-American, had asked. _"We can't just get him out of here."_

"_Let me worry about that. I've already made contact with somebody who I think is up to the task"_ S assured him.

"_What about those nano-things? They will kill him if he stays outside for too long."_

"_I can take care of those_" the third man, who had white hair, informed them in a gruff voice. _"It might take two or three days but it is possible."_

After that they had discussed for about half an hour what they were gonna do until S had nodded. _"I think that's all we can do for now. You take care of the medical aspects and you stay alert and try to keep us informed on what's going on in the military sector. All right?"_

They had all nodded at each other and then parted ways like that conversation had never happened. When thinking back S couldn't help but smile evilly; Elizabeth Renfro was a powerful and dangerous woman but she was not almighty and would certainly not expect him to be the one to finally bring her down. With a low chuckle he sent the e-mail and a few minutes later drove away into the darkness of the night and towards the Manticore base.

* * *

Kyla stood in the dark bedroom and looked down at the sleeping form on the thin mattress. She was still trying to come to terms with all that had happened within the last few days; their journey through half of Europe, sneaking into the United States again, Max's shakes, meeting with the '09ers and their discovery of Wolf acting as Renfro's bodyguard. She sighed. Although she had known it was possible he had been turned she had tried to chase those thoughts away but there was no hiding from it anymore. But of course, she wasn't the only one having a hard time.

The abrupt leaving of her old unit had saddened Max although she had known from the beginning they wouldn't stay to wait for their team's and Lydecker's arrival. Kyla understood and did not try to cheer her up; it wouldn't do any of them any good. Currently her sister was in the living room with Cale and Kara, who woke her up some minutes ago before joining the ordinary and her older twin again.

That thought reminded Kyla why she was staring at the sleeping Ares right now. After many days without a single hour of sleep he had finally agreed to take some rack time himself before unit two would arrive and it seemed he had really needed it, as he didn't even wake up when Kara had entered the room previously.

Kyla cocked her head a little bit and eyed him. Blade had good taste, she had to admit with a grin. He was sprawled on his stomach, his back bare to her eyes as the sheets were down to his waist. He was well-trained, handsome as all transgenics and a nice guy to be with – at least when there was no danger around. He was actually a lot like Wolf, she suddenly thought. A born fighter and leader, loyal, direct and sometimes even somewhat caring.

Gods, Blade would plain and simply kill her right where she stood if she could hear her thoughts, Kyla thought amused and her grin grew even wider. Not that she wanted the Delta soldier to be hers and even if she wanted to. it was clear he belonged to her sister; she just saw Ares as a very close friend and her mate was and would always be Wolf, but hey, a girl was allowed to look, right? She chuckled quietly and finally moved and gave him a nudge with her barefoot so he would wake up, causing him to stir a little but he kept sleeping. She frowned; he had to be more tired than she'd thought.

"Wake up!" she said quietly, giving him another nudge, her toes colliding with his ribs a little bit harder. "Dammit, wake up, sleepyhead!"

"Shut up" he mumbled but finally turned onto his back, looking up at her with sleepy eyes. "What is it?"

"They made contact. Said they would be here in about half an hour."

"Great, just when I was in dreamland" he sighed and got up. "How long was I out?"

"About four hours. Do I even have to ask what you were dreaming about?"

"You really don't want to know that" he informed her with a nasty grin and she made a face as if in disgust.

"Spare me! Come on."

They dressed and joined the others in the living room a few minutes later.

"How far are they out?" Ares wanted to know, looking at Logan who was staring at his computer screen.

"The last time they checked in they were two sectors away" the ordinary informed him without looking up. "My guess is about ten minutes."

The Delta soldier glanced at Max and nodded towards the balcony. Silently they stepped outside, breathing in the cool air of the night once again. None of them talked, it wasn't necessary. They just kept staring into the hardly illuminated darkness, looking for a sign of their friends and siblings. Seven minutes later Max caught a movement near a building at the end of the street. When she looked closer she could see more and more dark clad figures approaching them, but always staying in the shadows. She couldn't help but grin when she saw the huge backpacks they were carrying.

"They are here" she whispered.

"I see them, too" Ares replied just as quietly. "Go get Kyla, the two of bring them in and I stay here on the lookout."

"Got it." Max left and a few moments later she and Kyla raced down the stairs, leaving the building. Their teammates were approaching quickly and she felt a smile tucking at her lips when she recognized the first one; Alec.

A low whistle from Kyla got them the attention of the whole unit and quickly they slightly changed direction and ran towards them. Once arrived Alec made sure they all got inside as fast and as silent as possible until he retreated inside the building into the dark lobby together with Kyla and Max. As soon as the entry door was closed he turned towards Max and pulled her into a fierce hug.

"Alec, what…" she began surprised but quickly fell silent and returned the hug, much to the amusement of her siblings. After a few seconds however she spoke up again. "You know some of us need oxygen from time to time, right?"

"Sorry." He let go of her and grinned sheepishly before he turned towards Kyla with a calm and kind smile which surprised the black-haired woman; she had thought he would still be angry at her. "Good to see you."

"Likewise" she replied with a grateful nod. They had to get out of the lobby; the owner of this shabby place usually just minded his own business as he was paid good money, but a whole group of black clad and armed commandos would most likely be too much for him. "Let's go upstairs, the others are waiting."

Without another word they made their way to their room and you could almost hear the silent sigh of relief the whole team breathed. They had made it, they were finally here.

"The next two rooms are ours as well" Logan informed them after a short greeting. "I suggest you get rid of your equipment first."

Alec cast a glance at Lydecker and the old officer nodded. For the next thirty hours the newcomers were busy stashing their equipment and weapons in the three rooms and of course, greeting their siblings. It wasn't as loud and emotional as it had been when Max had met the other '09ers but after having lived and trained together for so long there was no need for too many words; the happy smiles and the gleam in their siblings' eyes told Max and Kyla all they needed to know and. A brief hug, a simple touch, a grin and a kind word were more than enough to convince them their unit did not hold their departure against them and also Ares was welcomed back with open arms and the four former Manticore black ops soldiers were obviously glad to have them back as well. Of course Kara got the best of the whole deal; most of all Corporal Hayden was failing miserably in his attempt to berate her for what she had done and after a few seconds gave up and gave her a strong hug before he tousled her hair at which the girl growled with annoyance.

When Lydecker approached her Max suddenly became very nervous and her mouth felt dry. For a few seconds he eyed her with an unreadable expression before he suddenly stepped forward and pulled her close. Everybody else in the room tried not to show their surprise – well, shock was probably the better description – but neither Max nor Lydecker cared about that. He let her go again and gave her quiet smile which she returned gladly. They would have to talk about it later but for now they seemed to be okay.

When Lydecker turned towards Kyla who was standing a little bit behind Max his eyes became hard again all of a sudden. The tall female X5 gritted her teeth and tried her best not to show her nervousness while everybody in the room looked either at her or their commanding officer. They could almost smell Lydecker's sudden anger but once again he was able to control himself. Finally he gave Kyla a brisk nod and turned away from her, looking at Logan.

"Glad to see you're still here, Mr Cale."

"Couldn't resist" Logan answered with a sour grin.

"I see." Lydecker's lips twitched like he had to suppress smile. "Well, I think we should get this started."

They all agreed and over the next hour Ares and Max told the newcomers everything they knew, from the events at the Tacoma airport, their recon mission and the hover drones. Kyla kept silent most of the time and tried to avoid eye contact with Lydecker and also Coleman. Once that was done they went to one of the other rooms where Ares and Kara had built an improvised model of the terrain where they intended to attack. When they entered O'Neill whistled, clearly impressed. The walls were covered with maps of their attack area, there were several scenarios with escape routes and emergency plans and the model itself, while clearly improvised, showed there had been a lot of work and time put into it. This clearly was a base of operations.

"You've been busy" he grinned.

"Don't mention it" Ares sighed theatrically. "My back is still aching."

"Getting old?" Alec teased.

"Don't think so. Okay, we think this is our best attack option."

He explained what he, Max and Kyla had put together during the last twelve hours while the rest of them, including Logan, listened carefully. Apparently they wanted to attack with two elements, one right in front of the convoy, stopping the vehicles, the other one in their adversaries' flank, taking out the escort. The plan was to neutralize the PsyOps guards and capture Wolf before the backup from the base would arrive. That task would be carried out by the transgenics with the help of O'Neill and Hayden. Those two were not as fast and as strong as the X-series but they knew how to handle a weapon and against four SUVs with trained soldiers they would need every sort of firepower they could get. In addition Hayden's skills as a corpsman could come in handy if somebody got hurt.

Lydecker, Logan, Coleman and Kara would wait with the vehicles on a small back road. With Logan's computer equipment in one car they would act as their mobile command center. When Ares had finished everybody remained silent, the soldiers watching the terrain model with half closed eyes, going over the plan mentally, trying to find weaknesses and mistakes.

"Why can't we use your stun shots to neutralize Wolf?" Max wanted to know.

"Because we don't know if they're still using drugs on him" Alec explained. He had talked to the Sergeant-Major of the armory back at Fortress Delta about this. "If we use stun shots while there are drugs in his body we could cause him to have a cardiac arrest or if we're lucky they won't work at all. Same problem if he's wearing a flak jacket. Each of you will be given an injector. Nova cooked a nice little anesthetic which should knock him out for about eight hours; if she did it right there will be no complications."

"Of course I did it right" the medic informed him warningly which earned her a few understanding smiles.

"What about those drones?" Lydecker wanted to know. "What if the escort has been changed?"

"I got a message from my informant minutes before you arrived" Logan piped up. "He says there have been no changes. I can show it to you later."

Lydecker nodded; Cale had already told them about this mysterious 'S' and he didn't like it very much but apparently that man – or woman – was telling them the truth so he would accept that for the moment although he was racking his brains about who it could be. But Alec wasn't about to let go of that problem that fast. "Still, what if your informant is wrong? What could we do against those drones?"

"I have everything we need" Logan informed him with a bright smile. "The hover drones are manufactured by Cale Industries. I confronted my uncle about the ones which attacked you in Strasbourg and he admitted that several of them have been sold to an unknown agency. I went to every file in the company's computer and got everything I could and I found something very interesting; maybe Uncle Jonas has been greedy and unethical but he's not stupid. There is a hidden off-switch in the drones' programming. A certain modified radio frequency will shut them down for thirty minutes until there is a reboot."

"And you have that frequency" Alec nodded, clearly impressed.

"I do."

"Nice one!" Jondy grinned. "Are you sure nobody noticed?"

"Jonas is a businessman" Logan replied with confidence. "I'm the hacker in the family."

Jondy could only nod and her smile grew a little bit wider.

"I guess you won't give us this code" Lydecker assumed with a sour smile.

"I'm not gonna give it to _you_, Colonel" Logan said pointedly, but his smile ever so kind. "You'll have to take me with you. I'm gonna make sure the products of my family's company will not do any further damage and I will do that personally. I do not approve what has been done in my family's name and I will do whatever it takes to put an end to it, as soon as the time is right. The only reason I haven't done so far is because I wanted to avoid attention and because I needed the money to get this mission done."

"Nobody is accusing you of anything, Mr Cale" Coleman suddenly spoke up. "You did the right thing."

Everybody in the room murmured their agreement and nodded and although Logan thought he couldn't care less what everybody else – Max not included – was thinking it felt good.

"Okay, I think the plan is good, we will do it like that" Lydecker decided. "Now, let's see who's gonna do what."

When everything was clear – at least in theory, they would have to adapt once on site – Lydecker ordered them to get some rack time and it was decided they would leave the next morning, that would give them enough time to prepare and inform the ones who would take them out of the country again. When Lydecker announced that the briefing was finished the X5s from unit two looked uneasily at Kyla who was the only one who had not been given a task. Her face was stoic but once Lydecker had left the room she was quick to follow him. Out in the corridor she called his name, glad they had rented the whole floor and there were no other guests who would suddenly stick their heads out of their rooms and ask what was going on. The old officer however ignored her and kept marching towards the room he was sharing with the three other former Manticore employees. The female transgenic suppressed a growl.

"Colonel!" she called out again. "Sir, we need to talk!"

"No, we don't" he replied coldly without turning around. "You won't be a part of this mission."

"You can't do this!" she hissed but he still did not react.

"Yes, I can" he growled and without looking at her opened the door to his room.

"Colonel!" she yelled at his back and just when he wanted to enter her frustration and growing desperation got the better of her. "Father!"

He froze, then finally he turned around and looked at her. She was breathing heavily, her eyes were wide and her whole composure spoke of her anxiety, her fear to be left out this time, to be left behind.

"What did you just call me?" She didn't answer, shocked herself by what she'd just said out loud. As if on cue his face hardened and he growled. "Get in here!"

With a bad feeling she followed him into his room. He closed the door and gave her a glare which almost frightened her.

"That's low, Kyla" he finally said. "I wouldn't have expected you to exploit Max's feeling like this!"

"What are you talking about?!" she exclaimed, her voice shrill. Of all the things he could've said this was nothing she had expected. Max had only told her about how she had come to think about the Colonel a day ago. Her rather harsh reaction seemed to surprise the older man and he approached her, eyeing her with a mixture of slight surprise, anger and suspicion.

"You don't know about her letter?"

"What letter?" Kyla asked, feeling more and more helpless. "Look, Colonel, I know that you must think I made a mistake and you're right if you think my feelings for Wolf played an important role when I decided to leave Fortress Delta. But you once said you did not think less of me because of those feelings. Ares gave us an opportunity and besides my personal interests it is vital to get him away from Renfro and the Alliance; as long as he can provide them with information we cannot operate freely."

"You should have waited for an order to do anything and you know it! You ignored the chain of command and that's something I will not accept, not ever!" Lydecker snarled.

"In that case I have to ask why you gave Max a place in the attack force, sir" she demanded to know, her voice low.

"You are one of the most senior and experienced X5s!" Suddenly his tone changed and he looked more tired and sad than angry. "Of course Max would follow your decision; she's looking up to you, your whole unit does! I trusted you and you deceived me!"

Kyla remained silent for a long time, not because she thought he was right because she could see something else under his anger and she shuddered when she recognized it: Disappointment. She lowered her eyes in shame and whispered: "I know you don't trust me anymore, Colonel, but you need me in this operation."

"You're right!" he laughed bitterly. "How could I? Now what task could I give you if I can't be sure you're not going after him the second you see him?"

"You will never find out if you don't try it, sir" she spoke almost shyly.

He wanted to answer but suddenly the door was opened.

"I could need her, Colonel." Artemis had left the others when they had heard the argument and now tried to help her sister. "I went over the topography of the area again and from my position I'm gonna need a spotter."

"Are you sure about that?" Lydecker wanted to know and the sniper nodded. It was true; as soon as things would get hasty she'd be much better off if somebody acted as a spotter for her. Lydecker took a deep breath and turned towards Kyla again. "Very well. In that case you will act as Artemis' spotter, but I swear if you do anything else without an order…"

"I will not!" Kyla was quick to assure him. He stared at her for a few more seconds, then nodded.

"I hope you won't. I do understand you, but there's not just his or your life at stake anymore. About the other thing you said: Try not to think about it, you all need to be focused now. We will talk about it when this is over." Truth was he didn't know how to react to her earlier revelation. Hell, he didn't even know how to act around Max and he had much time to think about that letter of hers. He sighed. "Okay, now get out and let an old man get some sleep!"

"Sir!" The two women snapped at attention and saluted, then left the room. Once outside Artemis breathed deeply.

"That was interesting." She eyed her older sister with a weird look.

"You heard it?" It was a rhetorical question.

"Of course we did. And by the way, I really need a spotter; don't think I did that just to do you a favor."

"I understand, sorry."

"Don't be" Artemis tried to sound lightly. "I understand, we all do. Even Alec, although I'm quite sure he will try to beat the hell out of Ares once this is over. But don't get me wrong; I love you as my sister, Kyla, but out there I'm not gonna need the girl who was looking out for me when we were little or the Kyla who is in love with Wolf. I'm gonna need X5-301, so if you're not sure you can be that soldier from now on until we're back at Fortress Delta you have to tell me!"

"I understand" the black-haired transgenic assured her. "And yes, I can do it."

"Good." Suddenly the slightly smaller sniper grinned. "And now let's find something to eat, I'm starving!"

* * *

_Two days later, forests near Gilette, Wyoming_

Renfro was absentmindedly looking out of the window, not even really seeing the snow-covered trees. In her mind she was going over all the things that had yet to be done and she inwardly groaned when she realized she would only have about 24 hours before she would have to leave the base again for a meeting with the council. This whole serving-two-masters-thing was getting on her nerves but she hoped it would be over soon and the transgenic problem could finally be solved. That thought brought her back to reality again and she glanced at X5-451.

"How long until your next treatment, 451?" she wanted to know and was surprised how tired her voice sounded. He didn't even move but continued to observe their surroundings.

"Technically four days, ma'am" he answered shortly. "But I have an appointment with Doctor Ogawa this evening."

'_Appointment. He says that word like it's a short visit to the family doctor'_ she thought amused, _'and not something that will make him scream and suffer again. I love those nanites in his head!'_

For the next few minutes they all remained silent until Renfro looked at him again and wanted to know what he was thinking about this 'appointment' of his – just out of curiosity – when the first car of the convoy suddenly swerved to the left side of the road without warning and crashed into a tree, coming to a violent halt. Master Sergeant Pierce slammed on the brakes, swearing loudly, and they heard the sound of a shot fired from somewhere ahead of them. Wolf's eyes widened but he reacted without hesitation. They'd heard the shot after the first car had been hit which meant there had to be a sniper out there somewhere. The second SUV, the one in front of them, had completely stopped and the passengers were already getting out, weapons at the ready, but Wolf knew this was a mistake. They had to get out of there, right now!

"Break through!" he yelled at Pierce and reached for his radio but the experienced soldier had already understood.

"On it!" he growled and their SUV jumped forward again, narrowly missing the vehicle in front of them and charging past two stunned PsyOps guards who did not understand why they were leaving the formation. They just made it past the crashed car when all hell broke loose.

Suddenly and out of nowhere there was fire coming from their whole left flank, automatic weapons and as far as Wolf could tell many of them. A few bullets hit their SUV but the lightly armored vehicle didn't get more than a few scratches. Most of the fire however was directed at the PsyOps guards who had gotten out of their cars to help their crashed comrades, a decision that proved to be fatal. Three of them were immediately killed and two more injured, the rest jumped behind whatever cover they could find and tried to fight back. Deep down it somewhat hurt 451 to leave them behind; although he had been turned and those were PsyOps guards they were on their side. But they couldn't help them anymore, they would have to hold out while he and Pierce got Director Renfro to safety.

"Command, command, this is X5-451. We are under attack, I say again, we are under attack! Three vehicles pinned down one mile east of checkpoint six, VIP is coming in!" he shouted into his radio and almost immediately got an answer.

"_This is command, we're deploying ERT and ground forces. Estimated enemy strength?"_

"Unknown, we…"

Just then something hit the car with brutal force, Pierce swore again and almost lost control of the vehicle, but managed to stay on the road but they slowed down to a halt. When he tried to regain speed he found out the engine had died. His eyes widened in a mixture of shock and surprise when he got aware of the huge hole in the engine hood. Wolf looked at him, puzzled that the experienced soldier didn't try to get them moving again, but then followed his gaze and his face hardened. It didn't take a genius to figure out they had just been struck by a round way bigger than what usually was flying around in common fights – perhaps a – and from what he could tell from looking at the entry point it had probably hit the engine block; they were not going anywhere, at least not with this vehicle.

"Get out!" he ordered and opened the passenger door. Without hesitation Pierce grabbed his P90 and followed Wolf's example – not only because the young transgenic was right – but because he knew himself they had to get moving, with a car or without one. Wolf had already opened the other door and was looking at a wide-eyed and apparently disoriented Elizabeth Renfro. She was both powerful and dangerous but she wasn't a soldier, had never been in the heat of battle. She was clearly afraid and close to panic and usually that would have given Wolf a great deal of satisfaction, but now his only thoughts were about how to get her away from there as fast and as far as possible.

"Director, get out!" he ordered her and when she didn't move he grabbed her wrist and yanked her out of the car. That seemed to get her out of her temporary stupor; her eyes flashed dangerously and she hissed at him.

"Don't you touch me!" she spat but he returned her angry stare stoically.

"The car's broken, ma'am, we have to get moving." The sounds from where the PsyOps guards were fighting for their lives told him their enemies would need a few minutes, probably even less, to kill the rest of their escort and then come after them. Time was running out. "Stay close to Master Sergeant Pierce, Director."

Renfro narrowed her eyes but all she could see was a brainwashed X5 who was concerned about her safety. She nodded.

Wolf exchanged a brief glance with Pierce and without further hesitation they left their cover, running for the tree line.

* * *

Artemis smiled icily when another shot from her OM 5 'Nemesis' sniper rifle hit a PsyOps guard square in the chest, killing him instantly. Seeing a man die because of a round wasn't a nice view but it was very effective. After she had killed the driver of the first vehicle, causing the SUV to crash into a tree, the third car in the convoy had surprised them and broke through, trying to escape. Another round from right into the engine – she didn't dare to aim for the driver again as she didn't know if it was Wolf – had stopped it, however. Right now it was standing approximately three hundred meters away from the rest of the convoy. After that she and Kyla had been busy supporting the rest of their unit who was attacking Renfro's escorts, Kyla doing the spotting for her and announcing the targets.

The attack was going well, perhaps thirty more seconds and the guards would be dead. Meanwhile Max, Nova and Havoc, who were the closest to the car with Renfro and Wolf, were already advancing. They would kill whoever they'd encounter, knock out Wolf and then there would hopefully be enough time left to get to their vehicles and get the hell out of dodge before the reinforcements from Manticore arrived.

"I see them!" Kyla suddenly gasped, her binoculars firmly set on the damaged SUV. "Eleven o'clock, at four hundred, elevation negative three."

Artemis shifted slightly until she could see through her scope what her sister was talking about. There were three people running away from the car and the battle towards the forest; one was a soldier she'd seen before and she was sure he was not PsyOps. The other one was Renfro herself who – for once – looked absurd in her expensive suit and the third one was Wolf. Artemis took aim at the ordinary soldier but knowing there was a sniper around Pierce was running zig-zag, making it very difficult to get decent shot.

"Hold still you little…" Artemis gritted between her teeth and pulled the trigger just before he would reach the trees where shooting him from her position would be nearly impossible. He moved out of the way at the last second and the bullet hit the three behind him. Artemis watched as he stumbled and fell to the ground but was on his feet again immediately. Kyla's fingers twitched; it would be so easy! If they didn't change their direction they would run past her and Artemis only about three hundred meters away.

"Dammit! All units, this is Artemis" the female sniper spoke quietly, glad for her throat micro. "Target is running towards north. Two hostiles are with him. One of them is Renfro."

"_We see them, Artemis"_ Havoc responded breathlessly. _"Don't worry, we'll get him. With the ordinaries in tow he is not very fast."_

* * *

True to his words the three X5s ran past the abandoned SUV only a few seconds later. It had not been a part of the plan that Pierce would be able to escape the sector where Alec and the others were currently killing the last PsyOps guards, but when did a good plan ever survive initial contact?

Havoc knew he was no match for Wolf in hand-to-hand and neither were Nova or Max, but the three of them together should be able to take him out. He only hoped they would get close enough before his brother or the other soldier started shooting; that would make things difficult. And then, just when they were about to reach the tree line, things became more difficult than he'd ever thought they would.

They never found out what it was, whether there had been a booby-trap in the SUV or if a stray bullet hit the vehicle and accidently set of the rather impressive amounts of ammunition and explosives all Manticore Standard Vehicles were equipped with, but suddenly there was a huge explosion, the car was lifted several feet in the air before it smashed onto the ground again. The burning fuel set the threes ablaze, creating a wall of fire on both sides of the road. The shock wave knocked the three X5s off their feet and something sharp hit Havoc in the back. When he tried to get up again his shoulder seemed to explode with pain and he cried out, sinking back to the ground immediately.

"Don't move!" Nova shouted and was at his side in a second. When she saw the huge piece of metal sticking out of his shoulder she grew pale and swore. Blood was already oozing from the huge hole in his body, much of it.

"What is it?" Max wanted to know. They didn't have any time left to waste.

"He's hit" Nova said tensely, reaching for her med-kit. She looked up and Max could see deep regret and a plea for understanding in the blond woman's eyes. "He won't make it if I don't…"

"Stay with him!" Max nodded briskly. "I go get Wolf!"

Without waiting for a reply she turned around and started running again. She could hear Nova calling for backup and Havoc weakly yelling at her to come back.

* * *

"_All units, this is Nova. Havoc's down! Wolf is still heading towards north with Max in pursuit. She will need help! Over!"_

"_Nova, this is Alec. The fire is blocking our way, we can't get to you, not in reasonable time! Over!"_

In the van about half a mile away both Lydecker and Logan tensed when they heard that. The Colonel glanced at one of the monitors and was relieved to see on the satellite image that Wolf hadn't gotten far yet. Once again Cale had proved himself to be very useful and Lydecker was still a little bit uneasy about how fast that guy had hacked into the military satellite they were using right now. For a brief moment he hesitated, then opened a com channel himself.

"All units, all units, this is Lydecker. I confirm, target is still running towards north. Order to all available transgenic units: Pursuit, I say again, pursuit! Over and out!"

"That will set Artemis and Kyla on his tracks!" Logan objected.

"I know."

"Didn't you say you didn't want her near him?"

"I did" the older man growled a little bit annoyed. Logan stared at him in confusion until it dawned on him and he barked a bitter laugh.

"You planned this all along, didn't you?"

"Not planned, but I hoped for something like it" Lydecker explained with a quiet smile. "You're good with computers and with people, Cale, but you still have a lot to learn about transgenics."

He suddenly turned around and snapped with his fingers and the person who had tried to silently sneak out of the van immediately stopped and looked at him with what could only be described as the most puppy-eyed and innocent eyes Logan had ever seen. The old officer, however, remained unaffected.

"Don't even think about it, Kara" he warned the girl. "When I said 'transgenic units' I meant X5s and you know it, so you're gonna stay here."

Kara didn't say anything but Logan could have sworn he heard a small growl escape her throat and the offended and pouting look in her eyes spoke volumes.

* * *

"Come on!" Artemis said and got up as soon as she'd heard the Colonel's order. Kyla followed suit and a second later the two women ran through the forest towards their enemies and their brother. Max would most likely reach them first and if she could slow them down until the three of them could attack together they would most likely be able to win that fight, even if Wolf was one of their adversaries. When they were sure to be about two hundred meters away from their prey they suddenly stumbled across a small clearing. Going around it was out of the question so they raced across the open terrain. And once again Murphy was up to his task as at that very moment Renfro, Pierce and Wolf arrived. Wolf didn't even see them first; it was Pierce who spotted them, raised his weapon and pulled the trigger.

Bullets wheezed past them and the two transgenics let themselves fall to the ground and into the cold snow. Kyla could hear Wolf shouting something but she didn't understand it. After a few seconds she looked up but apparently the trio had already vanished again. She swore and jumped up, ready to get after them, but stopped when she realized Artemis wasn't following her.

"Artemis?" she called out but didn't get an answer. With growing anxiety she ran towards where she had seen her sister fall. The shorthaired sniper looked up at her when she approached but didn't move or make a sound, her lips firmly pressed together, cold sweat on her forehead and her face pale while more and more of her crimson blood dropped onto the snow.

"Oh gods!" Kyla gasped and sank to her knees beside her sibling. It had been only one bullet, but it had torn through both thighs. Artemis was bleeding heavily and Kyla knew from her own experience how painful such wounds were. She leant forward to have a better look at the injuries but suddenly Artemis grabbed her arm with a blood-smeared hand.

"Stop it" she hissed, obviously in pain. "I can do this myself, go!"

"But…"

"Max doesn't stand a chance against him! Go, dammit!"

For a brief moment they stared at each other until Kyla finally nodded and got up. With a last glance at her injured sister, who gave her an impatient glare, she turned around and resumed the hunt just when the radio chatter started again.

"_Nova, this is Artemis. I've been hit, I can't move, over."_

"_Coming to you as soon as possible, Artemis, hold on. Nova out!"_

"_All units, this is Max. I'm closing in on them. Engaging!"_

'_Coming'_ was all Kyla could think.

* * *

In the shadows of the forest a tall and slender form moved. He had been watching the whole battle from a safe distance but most of the time his eyes had been searching for a certain female Asian and when he'd found her his heart started beating faster. The last time he had seen her she'd been robotic, emotionless, but today he saw her again just as he remembered her; fierce, vivid and reckless. All he wanted to do was yelling her name, embracing her again after all this time and breathe in her scent – but he didn't. When the car exploded and he saw how Max went after Renfro and Wolf all by herself he stood up and slipped away, deeper into the woods and closer towards the escaping soldiers. If only half of what he'd heard about Wolf was true Max would need his help.

* * *

**Okay, I admit it, there was a little bit of sentimental talk in the middle of the chapter, but hey, I couldn't just let Kyla of the hook so easily. Not sure if Deck is already finished with her.**

**So, the fight has started. I know, I know, not much from Alec and the others in this one, but that would've just taken too long. They will reappear later, so don't worry.**

**If there are some military expressions I need to explain, just tell me, sometimes I just don't realize when I'm using them.**

**Okay, so Max is after Wolf again and there are already two of her siblings wounded and out of the fight. And no, that cliffhanger was not that bad!**

**In the next chapter you're gonna find out who's the unknown guy who wants to help Max (well, not that hard to find out) and perhaps you'll even get to know who's S, if you haven't already. And of course you'll find out where I'm going with Wolf for now (like I would know myself. That 'flip-a-coin' idea gets more and more interesting.)**

**Below I will post an updated char list and a pairing guide as Alan Grey suggested (thanks again for the idea!)**

**Okay, you know what to do.**

* * *

Char list

**X5-154 aka Nova** Support model. The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. After running away from Manticore she has finally gotten together with Havoc. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Combat model. Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Has no shark but snake DNA.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** Communication and information technology. As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and is happy Max did as well as she once said she couldn't bear to lose her little sister again.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Mechanics and communication. Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA after the mission in Joliet.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** Combat and recon model. 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights. Over the years she has developed a strong affection towards Wolf but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them had the courage to make the next step until recently. They are a couple now but they still have to deal with a lot of unknown and troubling emotions, most of all the fear to lose the other.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Explosives. Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. After running away from Manticore he has finally gotten together with Nova. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Sniper and Recon model. Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** Combat and recon model. CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. Just like his partner Kyla he had been developed for combat operations. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is and his knowledge about almost any sort of combat makes him a deadly enemy. Over the years he has developed a strong affection towards Kyla but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them had the courage to make the next step until recently. They are a couple now but they still have to deal with a lot of unknown and troubling emotions, most of all the fear to lose the other. After his capture by the Alliance and reindoctrination at Manticore not much is known about his current status.

**X5-494 aka Alec** Infiltration and recon model. Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Recently he has started to have strange feelings for Max but isn't sure what to do about it yet. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Combat and weapons model. Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-734 aka Brin** Tracker and combat model. After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. After having been a specialist for one-man missions for some time Brin got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier. It seems like she got back most of her memories by now, most of all about her brother Zane.

**X5-798 aka Jace** Tracker and assassination model. She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She has been a member of unit five but got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier.

**X7-452 aka Kara** The nine year old girl is the X7 clone of Max. Forced to leave Manticore with unit two she was terrified at first but quickly accustomed to it. Despite being a child and acting quite innocently most of the time she more than capable to defend herself. Over the time Kara began to develop a strong and sometimes sarcastic sense of humor. Although it seems sometimes like she wants to defy orders she still sees herself as a soldier and gets angry when she's referred to as 'kid'.

**Corporal Daniel Hayden** He was a corpsman in the Manticore black ops corps. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two. After some time he grew closer to the transgenics, most of all the X7 Kara and has repeatedly asked to be a part of their missions.

**Major Patrick Coleman** He was unit two's instructor and TAC leader since their childhood. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two. He and the Colonel have known each other for a long time as they had served together in the Delta Force during the Mogadishu incident in 1990 already. After some time he grew closer to the transgenics and has repeatedly asked to be a part of their missions.

**Sergeant Christian O'Neill** He was a TAC team leader in the Manticore black ops corps. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two. He and the Colonel have known each other for a long time as they had served together in the Delta Force during the Mogadishu incident in 1990 already. After some time he grew closer to the transgenics and has repeatedly asked to be a part of their missions.

* * *

**Pairing guide:**

I'm gonna keep it short for now, this is just for those of you who'd like to have a general view. If you want more details, don't hesitate to tell me!

**Wolf/Kyla**

**Havoc/Nova**

**Ares/Blade**

**Alec/Max** in progress /beginning (now for those of you who are not M/A shippers: don't go all kamikaze on me, please, you had it coming! And I kept it low until now, didn't I? Sorry if that bugs you, but there will be no M/L romance in this story. Logan will get somebody else. And no, asking me who it's gonna be will not do the trick!)


	19. The Lost Brother

Okay, this time the update comes a little bit earlier, hope you like it.

**Taeniaea:** There you are again! Thanks!

**Jasper's Imaginary Friend:** Well, you're gonna find out here if you were right. Thanks to you, too.

**cappsy:** Nope, sorry, it's not Seth. He died even before Max met Logan the first time, although I personally think that's a shame. And no, I'm not gonna pair Logan with an X5; you're right, somehow that would just be weird. As for somebody dying or not: Just keep reading, although it's not always very pretty. Anyway, thanks again for the review and I hope you're still out there.

**452max**: Thanks to you, too. I'm really glad you're still here!

**nattylovesu:** Well, I kinda hoped none of you expected this unknown guy, I'm trying not to make it too obvious. Thank you!

**Divine Fighter:** Yep, I must admit I really start to like Kara myself, although I must really pay attention to not forget that she's an X7 soldier after all. Ah, yes, the always so difficult M/A; well, it gets just a tiny bit more interesting in that field during this chapter. Thanks to you, too!

* * *

Wolf suddenly stopped when he caught the noise of another pursuer and he bit back a curse.

"Pierce!" he yelled at the Master Sergeant who was ahead of him. "Continue to head north, the ERT should be here in a few minutes!"

"You can't stop them alone!" the Manticore black ops objected.

"It's my old unit" Wolf explained. He had suspected it from the start but when he saw X5-301 and X5-439 there were no doubts anymore. He was pretty sure Pierce had injured at least one of them, but they couldn't take that risk. "You are too slow; if we stay together they will catch us all. The reinforcements will pick up her transmitter, but you have to get her to safety."

Pierce glanced at Renfro who was panting heavily. Her clothes were dirty and partly torn and the blond woman was clearly exhausted. For a brief moment the Master Sergeant considered a mean grin but given the seriousness of the situation he remained stoic. The young transgenic was right; if their attackers really were from the rogue X5 unit they would never make it before the ERT could reach them. Renfro – like all top brass members – carried a transmitter with her all the time, exactly for situations like this one. It was probably in her watch, but he wasn't sure. He looked at the X5 again.

"I will hold them off for as long as I can" Wolf assured him grimly. "Go!"

Pierce snarled, not liking the idea of leaving this young soldier behind, but he knew the boy was right.

"I see. Good luck, 451! We will come back as fast as possible." He grabbed Renfro and forced her to continue running. "Come on, Director!"

The two ordinaries disappeared into the bushes and Wolf turned around towards where he could hear his enemy approaching at a very fast pace. He raised his P90 and switched off the safety. From what he could tell it was only one person, so this shouldn't be a problem. Of course the rest wouldn't be far behind but he was confident he could buy Renfro and Pierce enough time so they would make it to the rendezvous point with the emergency response team. When he caught a new scent in the air he suddenly frowned. He wasn't sure, usually he wouldn't expect her to be the first to attack him but…

"All units, this is Max. I'm closing in on them" he suddenly heard her voice and a second later he could see her running towards him. It really was X5-452 – or Max, as she was calling herself. She saw him as well. "Engaging!"

He smiled coldly and lowered his weapon again, dropping it to the ground. His orders were clear: Neither X5-452 nor X7-452 were to be harmed in any way. He would attack and neutralize her and then retreat, taking her with him. Director Renfro had been looking for his twin for so long and yet here she was, offering herself on a silver plate. Perhaps this day would turn out to be a success after all. She was close now and he could almost see the surprise in her eyes when he didn't fire at her, which she had expected, but nevertheless she didn't slow down. When she was about twenty feet away from him she suddenly drew a pistol-like device in a fluent and incredibly fast move, aimed briefly and fired. He barely avoided the tranquilizer dart – at least he thought it was something like that – and snarled at her, this time clearly angry. Max gave him a brief glare, then reached for another dart but this time he decided the waiting game was over.

With a feral growl he jumped forward and she dropped her weapon, getting into her fighting stance. Wolf almost smiled when he saw that; it was stupid, at least in his eyes. She didn't stand a chance against him. If he had been in her situation he'd taken his shot as soon as possible, but not with a tranquilizer gun but the real thing. But then again she was weak, delusional. She probably still thought she had to save him while he saw his mission and his purpose for Manticore and Renfro with a serenity she could only dream of.

They clashed, two transgenic soldiers lashing out at each other with all their might and strength. He blocked her first attempt to strike him down and took a low-kick with an angry sneer, ignoring the pain. Then he seized the initiative and drove her back with a furious combination of kicks and blows which she barely held off. She was good, much better than the last time he had fought against her; apparently she was still training with X5-194. But she wasn't a combat model; unlike him she'd been primarily trained in infiltration and information technology. Sure, she was a fine fighter but she was just a little bit slower and a little bit weaker than him. Finally he broke through her defenses and he heard the sound of a rib breaking and her painful gasp with a strange sort of satisfaction before he grabbed her arm and twisted it until she cried out in pain.

He held her in that firm grip and was trying to decide how to take her out without really injuring her. She used the short pause and turned her head, trying to look at him with a mixture of pain and plea in her eyes.

"Wolf" Max whispered, her voice strained from the pain, "I'm not…"

She never had a chance to finish her sentence; there was just no tactical reason to listen to what she had to say. She would have enough time to talk once they were back at the base. With a last and brutal move he suddenly let go of her only to deliver a kick to her head. He was so fast she barely saw the attack coming and without any chance to defend herself she was thrown back and fell to the ground without another sound, losing consciousness before she could feel the cold snow against her face.

He looked down at her, breathing heavily. The short fight had exhausted him and he had to admit that while not designed for combat 452 was a good fighter. He knelt down at her side and checked her pulse, then allowed himself a brief smile; she was stable. Now all he had to do was wait for the reinforcements to arrive and they would take her back to the base. They would probably need a few minutes longer as they had to pick up Director Renfro first, but although this day had cost them the lives of the PsyOps guards in the convoy it was a success. X5-452 would be theirs again.

When he caught a movement from the corner of his eye he whirled around and bit back a curse when he saw another member of his former unit sprinting towards him. Although moving very quickly Kyla didn't make a sound, something he would usually admire. Now the X5 approaching him only evoked a mixed feeling of anger and hatred as he stood up and drew his sidearm in one fluent move. When he pulled the trigger his enemy dove slightly to the side, barely avoiding the bullet and in the next second she threw herself at him, the impact of her body against his knocked the wind out of him and they both fell to the ground, the hard impact causing him to lose his weapon

He tried to punch her in the face and at the same time brought his knee up and hurled her away. Without hesitation he jumped up and blurred to where he had dropped his P90 but before he could reach it Kyla tackled him from behind, causing him to fall once again. Furious, he tried to kick her but she'd already let go of him and brought some distance between them. He got up once again, his whole body tense and cold anger rushing through his veins. He cast a glance at the still unconscious form of 452.

"Watch it, pretty boy" she growled while they started to circle each other, predatory looks on both their faces. She didn't even try to use the tranquilizer gun; she knew he would most probably avoid the dart. "I will not let you come near her again and I'm not an easy prey!"

He cocked his head and eyed her intensely, looking for a weakness. He knew X5-301 was a much better fighter but he also knew he had a chance to take her down. After all he had time on his side. Without warning he jumped forward, his hand reaching for his battle knife and Kyla groaned inwardly, but reached for her own knife as well. Knife fights were bound to get nasty, usually both combatants took their fair share of injuries. Where was Blade when you needed her?

She blocked his first attack and also the second, then attacked herself, aiming for his side but the avoided the attack and rushed forward again. It was like a deadly dance, their moves, attacks and defenses matching each other perfectly. Finally Kyla managed to lure him into a direct attack, dove to the side and her knife cut through his pants and bit into his flesh; the wound wasn't dangerous, it wasn't even very deep but it sure as hell hurt. He gasped and retreated a few steps.

When he looked at the blood trickling down his leg he growled, in a way Kyla had never heard it before, at least not when it was directed at her. He stared at her and the look in his eyes frightened her. There was so much hatred, pain and anger and it was all directed at her.

"Wolf" she began slowly but wasn't given a chance to speak one more word. With the mixture of a feral growl and an enraged bark he charged and the deadly dance continued. Only now he didn't seem to mind his injuries anymore. She got him twice, delivered a deep cut to his left arm and another one to his left shoulder but he just kept coming, like he knew she wouldn't go for the kill, like he knew they were only here for him. And perhaps that was true, Kyla suddenly realized. After another few seconds she was finally too slow and suddenly felt hot pain on her face as his blade cut into her flesh, leaving a deep and heavily bleeding cut on her right cheek. She stumbled back, her vision started to blur from involuntary tears and he took his chance, dashing forward. At the last moment she brought up her hands and tried to avert his weapon, but this time she didn't fully succeed. Instead of piercing her heart the knife dug into her left shoulder and now she screamed, but she didn't let go of him, gripped his hand and his shoulder, forcing him and his weapon to stay as they were as she stared at him in shock, their faces only inches apart.

He wanted to kill her, she suddenly realized with brutal clarity. He wasn't just trying to buy his reinforcements more time or covering Renfro's retreat, he really wanted to kill her. The truth of the situation hit her like a kick to the head and she suddenly felt like all strength had left her body. They had known something like this was possible but deep down she had always tried to hide from this thought. When her eyes started to water with fresh tears – not from physical pain this time – her grip on him loosened and he took his chance. He violently yanked the knife out of her body and kicked her in the chest when she stumbled back; she didn't even try to defend herself anymore and was thrown to the ground. Wolf was on her in the blink of an eye, teeth barred, the weapon firmly in his fist and ready to deliver the fatal blow.

He froze.

There she was, lying on her back, not moving, not making a sound, not even trying to defend her life anymore. X5-301, his enemy – Manticore's enemy. He had every right to kill her, it was his duty to end her life, but he didn't. Her face – partly covered in her own blood and tears – held a sorrow and grief he couldn't understand but it was her eyes that shocked him. Instead of their usual emerald green they were almost black, filled with a sort of terror and fear that had once been unknown to him. But he had seen it before, in another life, but not far away.

"_Why did you do that?"_

"_Do what?"_

"_Release me."_

He gritted his teeth and tried to move, his whole body screamed at him to kill her, to sink his blade into her heart, her neck, any vital part of her body. What the hell was going on with him?

"_I think I saw something…something in your eyes…just go."_

"_I want you to live because I don't know how I should be able to live without you…!"_

Kyla kept looking at him, oblivious to his sudden confusion, but still didn't move.

"_We are one weird couple."_

He never found out what this was all about. He moved but later Kyla wouldn't be able to tell if he wanted to get up or was finally going to kill her. It didn't matter. Out of nowhere a dark figure suddenly appeared out of the bushes, raced towards them and before any of the two transgenics was able to do anything Wolf was kicked in the stomach and the pure brutal force of the attack threw him off Kyla and he landed a few feet to her left with a painful grunt. The unknown attacker didn't waste any time and followed him immediately, delivering a violent punch to his face. Wolf's head was thrown back and his body slumped forward, his mind finally giving in to unconsciousness.

Kyla's unexpected savior made sure his adversary was not a danger anymore, then turned towards her.

"Zane?" she gasped, not really believing her eyes. Slowly she stood up. "Zane, what are you…?"

"Later!" Zane cut her off and quickly got over to where Max was lying; after a few seconds he sighed in relief. "She'll be alright. We have to go!"

Kyla knew he was right but somehow she couldn't bring herself to move. She stared at Wolf's unmoving form.

"Kyla!" The sharp bark brought her out of her stupor. "Snap out of it, we must go, right now! You take Max, I take Wolf!"

She nodded and lifted Max off the ground, her moves robotic, then began to make her way back to the rest of her unit. Zane watched her and silently shook his head, not liking what he saw at all. That girl was in some state of shock and was probably going to break down sooner or later. He just hoped it would be later. He picked up Wolf – he had checked the barcode earlier so he knew it was him – and followed the black-haired woman.

They moved quickly and Zane made sure Kyla was always ahead of him. When they arrived back at the place of the battle he could see the rest of unit two had made short work of the convoy. Blade spotted them first and came running towards them, Alec and Brin in tow.

"What happened?" Alec growled when he saw the unconscious Max in Kyla's arms.

"We fought and…" Kyla began but was cut off by Zane.

"And I'm sure she will be happy to tell you the whole story, but right now we need to get out of here!"

"And you are?" Alec snapped at him.

"This is Zane, X5-205, from unit one." Brin stepped in. She had to restrain herself from throwing herself at the young man but her eyes were gleaming with joy. "He's a friend."

"Really" Alec snorted but then suddenly froze and seemed to listen intensely. The rest of them could hear it, too; helicopters approaching their position. Alec gave Zane a hard look but finally nodded. "We'll see about that later. Got yourself a ride?"

"Not close enough" Zane replied calmly.

"Oh hell, whatever, follow me!" Alec snarled and turned around while activating his radio. "All units, all units, this is Alec. We got the cargo and we're complete again. Everybody pull back!"

He turned towards Kyla and took Max out of her arms, ordering Blade to help the wounded woman, then they all started heading towards where Lydecker, Logan and Kara were waiting for them.

"What's his problem?" Zane asked.

"Not you, don't worry" Kyla informed him briefly. "It's Max."

"Huh?"

"Don't ask" Brin ended the discussion. "That particular topic has been rather complicated lately."

Zane raised an eyebrow but chose to remain silent. He didn't like the looks Blade was giving him all the time but he decided it was because he was still carrying Wolf. Brin, however, never left his side and glanced at him from time to time, still surprised to see him but nevertheless happy. He gave her a short smile; they would have to talk later. They reached their vehicles – four old SUVs – and drove away from their latest battle, leaving the destroyed convoy and the quickly approaching soldiers from the Manticore base behind them. If they were lucky the Response Team would first secure the battlefield and not try and come after them immediately.

* * *

Inside one SUV Hayden was treating Kyla's wounds. The gash on her cheek would heal quickly but her shoulder was another problem. She was bleeding heavily and the fact that she was in shock – Hayden was corpsman after all, he was used to see soldiers in that state – didn't make him feel less concerned about her. She was staring at Wolf's unmoving body, almost never blinking.

"He did that?" the young man asked. She just nodded. When he'd finished the bandage he sighed and followed her gaze. "He will be okay, Kyla. He just needs time."

She shrugged and the utterly hopelessness that gesture displayed worried him more than her injuries. What happened out there?

"How's Artemis?" Kyla wanted to know, her voice a hoarse whisper.

"She's in the vehicle behind us, Nova's taking care of her. She should be fine."

"Good" she said, her voice as blank as her eyes.

The young corporal stared at the woman he'd come to know as a fierce and strong soldier, a warrior who never gave up. But right now he could only see a distraught girl. She looked lost and frail, something he never considered her of being. He sighed and once again asked himself if this painful journey was ever gonna end.

* * *

"Are you really sure nobody's gonna pick it up?" Lydecker asked again, looking at Logan in concern. They were sitting in the back of their mobile command center while Sergeant O'Neill was driving with Alec on the passenger seat. It bothered the transgenic to no end that he couldn't be in the same vehicle as Max but there was no discussing with Nova when it came to medical questions, most of all not when the blond woman had to make sure neither Havoc nor Artemis would bleed out at the same time.

"I told you before, Colonel, I'm sure" Logan replied a little bit annoyed. A radio call to a civilian aircraft from out of nowhere usually made the officials very suspicious but he had taken all necessary precautions. "They might pick it up but with the encryption I'm using they could only locate us if they'd known about it for three or four days. It will work."

"Okay" the old officer finally agreed. He had seen Cale in action before and after all didn't doubt the man's expertise anymore, not when it came to computers. Logan nodded and activated the radio frequency that would connect them to the plane which would bring Lydecker and the transgenics back to Switzerland.

"White Eagle, White Eagle, this is Road Runner. Do you read me, over?"

"_Road Runner, this is White Eagle"_ the voice of the pilot answered him. _"Reading you five to five, over."_

"Roger that, White Eagle. We're on our way. ETA fifteen minutes, I say again, ETA fifteen minutes."

"_Roger that, fifteen. We'll be there, over."_

"Roger, Road Runner over and out!" Logan ended the connection and turned towards Lydecker. "See, it worked."

"Don't get cocky, son" the older man reminded him but couldn't hide a small smile himself. It looked like their luck was finally back.

"Colonel" Alec announced and turned around so he could look at his commanding officer. "I've got the count. Artemis, Havoc and Kyla are injured, but they are stable. Max has a concussion but has just woken up and Wolf is still unconscious. They've got him secured and Blade is watching him. And we picked up another transgenic, X5-205."

"What?" Lydecker stared at him in disbelief. "Zane? What the hell was he doing there?"

"Don't know, sir, but it seems he helped Kyla and Max. You'll have to ask him yourself. He's in the last car with Brin, Jace and Jondy."

"Oh, hell. That's gonna be interesting."

The rest of their short ride was mostly spent in silence until they arrived at their destination, an old and abandoned airfield. From what Logan could tell the place had not been used since the Pulse and he doubted there was anybody around as most of the hangars looked derelict. The vehicles stopped next to the landing strip and everybody got out.

"Do you really think they'll be able to land that bird here?" Jace wanted to know, a skeptical look on her face. "It's pretty short."

"Don't worry" Ares assured her. "They're ordinaries, but the pilots of the SRTU are some of the craziest guys I've ever met. They'll do it."

"Alright, everyone" Lydecker barked. "Help the wounded and get ready to leave as soon as that plane touches down! We don't have much time."

"So, this is it" Logan said as he casually stepped at Max's side. She was having the worst headaches possible but nevertheless tried to smile.

"I won't be gone forever, Logan. We'll be back. Thank you for all you've done."

"My pleasure. Take care of yourself, Max."

"You too" she briefly hugged him. When she let go off him she caught the suspicious look Alec was giving her but she decided to ignore it. She just did not have the energy to confront him about that strange behavior of his right now.

A little bit to the side Zane was talking to Brin and the Asian woman had tears in her eyes. Jondy and Jace were glancing at her from time to time but she didn't pay attention as she and Zane said goodbye to each other, so shortly after having met again. It was just not fair!

"Contact!" Blade suddenly shouted and everybody jumped. She had taken care of Wolf but right now she was staring towards the hangars and brought up her rifle, switching off the safety. Four cars were speeding towards them.

"Behind us!" Alec yelled and true to his words four other vehicles approached from the opposite site, cutting off their only possible escape route.

"Take cover!" Lydecker ordered and as fast as they could transgenics and ordinaries alike moved to get behind their own SUVs, although being attacked from two sides made it difficult to really find a good cover.

Max's thoughts were racing. Who were those guys? They were clearly not Manticore, not even Renfro could react so quickly! Her head hurt and she wasn't even half as fast as she would usually be.

Almost simultaneously the eight cars stopped and men with black masks and full combat gear got out, aiming a variety of weapons at them. Two of them, however, did not wear masks; a young woman and a man. They were wearing civilian clothing and Alec narrowed his eyes when he recognized – or at least heavily started to suspect – what they were.

"Federal agents!" the woman shouted. "Drop your weapons!"

None of the transgenics moved and Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden didn't think of giving up this easily either.

"Drop your weapons now" the woman repeated her demand, "or we open fire!"

Lydecker frantically searched for a way out of this mess but he couldn't find one. They were surrounded by more than two dozen heavily armed and certainly well trained federal agents. No cover, no way of escape. Sure, his kids would be able to take them out but there was no way they could pull this off without losses. This was not good, he needed them closer. Slowly he lowered his gun, letting it drop to the floor and stood up, his hands raised.

"Drop your weapons!" he ordered as calmly as he could. Everybody shot him incredulous glances. "That's an order, drop your weapons, soldiers!"

Reluctantly everybody did as they were told and stood up. As if on cue the masked tactical team moved, some of them forcing them to turn around and lean against the cars, ruggedly handcuffing them before they started to search them for weapons while the rest of the team kept their guns pointed at them. It was obvious that they were not facing some sector police cops but a highly trained law enforcement unit.

When one of the men wanted to force Artemis to stand up the sniper hissed in pain and Alec moved towards him unconsciously, only to stop immediately when no less than three weapons were suddenly aimed directly at his face.

"Watch it, you idiot!" he snapped. "She's wounded!"

Instead of a witty remark or an insult he only got a brief nod from the man which surprised and worried him even more; there were not many organizations whose personal was not only well-trained but also used to treat suspects with the appropriate respect. Who were those guys?

"Special Agent Gibbs, Naval Criminal Investigation Service" the woman introduced herself, looking at Lydecker who she had correctly identified as the leader of this group of heavily armed young people. "You are under suspicion of attempted theft of property of the United States Navy. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense."

"That's ridiculous" Lydecker snarled.

"I don't care what you're thinking" she informed him briefly and Ares could see her partner's face twist in amusement. She turned towards the leader of the TAC team. "Barns, are you done?"

"Almost" he informed her. "They're carrying a whole lot of artillery. We've taken their pictures and sent it to HQ. I think you were right about them."

"Of course I was" she grumbled. "A team as heavily armed as those guys are not here to do some fishing."

"Three of them are wounded and one seems to be unconscious. I called the hospital already."

"Good, let's get them secured and…what the hell?" she stared at something behind Barns and he turned around when he saw the surprise and affright in her face. Several of his men did as well when they heard the rapidly approaching roar of jet engines

"GET DOWN!" Barns yelled before he grabbed Victoria and forced her to the ground, using his body to shield her. The blink of an eye later a Learjet flew past them so low Victoria could have sworn she would've been able to touch it if she'd reached out. The thunderous noise from the engines made her ears hurt and the shock wave threw everybody to the ground. Her head was spinning and she felt like throwing up when the weight of Barnes body on top of hers suddenly vanished.

The next thing she knew were the noises of fights, shouts and curses. There were gunshots, too. She opened her eyes and reached for her weapon when strong hands pressed her back down onto the hard concrete and disarmed her just as quickly. One of the young soldiers held her down – hadn't they handcuffed them all? – and looked at her with a serious face, but she could see the twisted amusement in his eyes and she tried to hit him in anger, only to have her arm twisted behind her back and her head forced up, so she could look at the small battle taking place.

What she saw did not only surprise her, it downright scared her. Some of those strange people had somehow broken free of their handcuffs while the others fought with their hands still tied behind their backs. And they were winning! They moved so fast Victoria had a hard time following them and so did her men. One after the other fell, most from blows and kicks to the head but some also from other attacks. None of the strange soldiers used weapons and the few of her team who actually managed to fire a shot missed as their enemies were always too close and too fast for them to actually take proper aim. The fight only lasted seconds until the last federal agent dropped to the ground unconscious. Most of the soldiers made sure their adversaries really were unconscious while the others started to free everybody from the handcuffs.

When the oldest of the group, the one she had addressed before, approached her with a grim expression on his face Victoria prepared for the worst.

"Who told you about this?" he demanded to know and frowned when she didn't answer. "As you wish. Ares, secure her. Then destroy their communication equipment and our vehicles. And tell that lunatic pilot to land!"

"Yes, sir!" the man holding Victoria said and then forced her to look at him, a mean smirk on his face. "Sorry."

She gave him and inquiring look but wasn't left to wonder what he was sorry about when he punched her, knocking her out cold.

"Anybody injured?" Alec wanted to know, unconsciously rubbing his wrists. He really hated handcuffs!

"Not more than before" Artemis groaned. After a few more seconds it was clear nobody had gotten hit and Alec breathed a sigh of relief. They'd been lucky again. He suddenly got aware of Max who was leaning against one of their cars, her eyes half-closed and her teeth gritted.

"Everything alright, Maxie?" he asked softly, but the worried tone all too evident in his voice.

"I'm okay" she replied tensely. "My head hurts, but I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" He gently touched her shoulder. "Nova could…"

"I said I'm okay, Alec!" she snapped angrily. "Stop being so damned overprotective!"

She glared at him before she left his side and made her way over to where Logan was looking at them. Alec growled, clearly irritated by her behavior.

"What?" he snarled when he got aware of the amused looks Jace and Blade were giving him. The two women just shrugged innocently and turned away.

"Who the hell are those guys?" Jondy finally spoke out loud what they all were thinking. They were clearly not Manticore, so what were they doing here and how did they find them? "Do you really believe they're NCIS, sir?"

"No idea" Lydecker growled "but we're taking the woman with us! Cale, Zane, you better come with us, too."

"What?" Logan exclaimed.

"No way" Zane calmly stated. "I'm not looking forward to have a family reunion with you, Colonel, that's not what I came here for."

"They've sent your pictures to their headquarters, if they were telling the truth that's the NCIS HQ in Washington DC" Lydecker explained. "Now you can be sure as hell Renfro will know about this before this day is over. You were already very high on her 'to-kill-as-soon-as-possible' list before, Cale, and now you are as well, Zane. Believe, after what happened today she will not rest until both of you are dead. You just became top targets for the Alliance."

"He's right" Max spoke up, looking at Logan. "Come with us."

Logan stared at her, clearly unsure of what to do, while Zane's face became grim.

"Zane, please. You don't know what they're capable of" Brin spoke up. He looked at her and his gaze softened a little bit. "Please!"

"We will not be under your command!" Zane stated firmly, giving the Colonel a cold stare. "I will not take orders from you, never again!"

"I can live with that" Lydecker answered briskly before turning away and walking towards Ares. "Now where's that plane?"

"Incoming" the Delta transgenic answered briefly with a wry grin. "The pilot says we owe him."

Max didn't listen to them but instead returned her focus on Logan. He looked worried and a little bit lost. This was not what they had planned.

"Don't worry, you will like it. The mountains are a nice view" she tried to reassure him and it got her a small smile.

"Yeah" Zane snarled. "I can't wait to spend more time with Lydecker."

Brin couldn't hide her smile and Max just sighed but couldn't deny the weirdness of their situation, either. This was going be a very long flight.

* * *

**Okay, that's it for now.**

**Once again: ERT = Emergency Response Team. If there are any other expressions I used don't hesitate to ask.**

**Tell me what you think. You will find out in the next chapter, how Victoria was able to find them.**

**Oh, and while you're at it, please answer this question. Should I let Wolf survive? Review or PM, please!**


	20. Death of an X5

**So, they're home again, safe and sound…yeah right!**

**cappsy:** Thanks once again! Well, we're gonna see about that guy later. About Logan and Victoria: perceptive *gg* it's not gonna be a huge part of the story, though. Hm, what exact part of 'family discussion' do you mean? I think I get, just asking to be sure.

**452max:** Well, yeah, Max was a little bitchy, I have to admit that. She's gonna get another possibility in this chapter though. Thanks to you, too.

**Divine Fighter:** I've always thought the rest of Max's original unit should have gotten a little bit of screen time, so yeah, I like using them. Hope you'll continue to like it.

**Jasper's Imaginary Friend:** Well, as I said, the NCIS itself will not likely make a reappearance, but I still need Vic. And about Wolf…you'll see *gg*

**Angel:** As I told Jasper's Imaginary Friend: No NCIS anymore, just had to borrow them for a short period. Vic and Logan will not play a huge part, but I still need them. As I said, I made a promise to a reviewer some time ago. And about S: Yes, you're right, it's our dear and beloved Agent Sandoval. You'll get to see a little bit of him and another person in this chapter.

**Anyway, once again I'd like to thank all of you, you're absolutely awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

_Three days later – Fortress Delta, Switzerland_

"I really don't like it, Deck" Colonel Meyer informed his friend while they were walking towards the holding cells. "Don't get me wrong, I gladly helped you and your people but now you're starting to drag in US federal agents; this could result in an international crisis."

"It's not like we had a choice" Lydecker grumbled. They'd arrived at Fortress Delta three days ago and to his surprise Meyer had welcomed them back without question. The wounded had been treated and were on the mend and now they were trying to figure out what they were gonna do next. Sure, the 'guests' the team had brought with them were looked upon with suspicion and the former commander of Manticore could very well understand that but he was convinced he'd made the right choice.

"You could have left her there!"

"And waste our only chance to find out how she's found us? I don't think so."

"The point is; I can only hold this back for a few more days. If we don't have something to sell to the higher ups by then we will be in a world of trouble, both of us. They already gave me hell for letting Ares go with your team and let's pray they won't find out where he really was going."

"How did you do that anyway? He refuses to tell me although I think he spoke about it with Kyla."

"He didn't tell you?" Meyer snickered. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

"So? How did you do it?"

"Vacation."

"Huh?"

"You see, technically the Delta and Echo transgenics are professional soldiers of the Swiss Armed Forces and as such have all the duties and privileges an ordinary soldier would have. Ares was on leave."

"Are you kidding me?" Lydecker stared at his friend with wide eyes.

"Nope, not at all." If even possible Meyer's grin grew wider. "I mean, none of them has ever asked for something like that before, but technically speaking I was just following the law. And what my soldiers do during their vacation is not of my primarily concern."

"You are crazy!" Lydecker stated matter-of-factly. "You're downright crazy, you know that?"

"Hey, it worked, didn't it? Let's talk about this later, okay? We're here."

They had arrived at the holding cell. Meyer gave the two Deltas guarding the door a brief nod and they opened, allowing the two old officers to enter the cold cell. Inside were two transgenics in their black uniforms, a dark-haired woman who was sitting at the steel table and a male Delta next to the door. Their prisoner shot to her feet when they entered and glared at them.

'_If looks could kill'_ Lydecker thought with dry sarcasm and eyed her. Special Agent Victoria Maria Gibbs, Naval Criminal Investigation Service. She looked exhausted and a little bit disoriented, which was completely normal considering the fact she had been kidnapped and was being held thousands of miles from her home. Nevertheless she didn't show any sign of anxiousness or even fear but stared at her 'visitors' with a mixture of outrage and mild curiousness. Meyer signaled her silently to have a seat and reluctantly she obeyed.

"My name is Colonel Meyer" Lydecker's friend introduced himself. "I'm the commanding officer of this base."

"Why am I being held here?" Victoria spat. "Where am I and what did you do to my team?"

"Your team is fine" Meyer assured her, "at least as far as I have been informed by Colonel Lydecker here. He's US Special Operations, by the way."

That got them at least a small reaction of surprise.

"Three days ago you attacked Colonel Lydecker's SpecOps team near Gilette in Wyoming" Meyer continued. "We want to know how you found them and what your interest was in the first place."

"As I told your 'colleague' here already" Vic informed him with barely contained sarcasm and shot the female transgenic a grim look "they are suspected of attempted theft of US Navy property."

"How come?"

"A little bit more than a week ago a marine was attacked on the Tacoma airport. He was part of a platoon who had been tasked with guarding a certain cargo."

Lydecker suddenly groaned in realization; that had to be the marine Kara had attacked. And they all just shrugged it off as a minor incident. Great! And that special cargo – he could only guess but he was pretty sure about it – was either some top secret weapons transport or at least something important enough for the military to use a civilian aircraft to transport it. It had been pure coincidence Max and Kara had been there at the same time, but the problem they were dealing with now was real nonetheless.

"How did you track Colonel Lydecker's team?"

"The encryption his team used was too much for a bunch of simple thugs" the agent grinned at them. She knew she shouldn't talk too much but after almost three days when nobody had said a word to her and now the less than comfortable interrogation she'd had with that cold-eyed woman in front of her had left her with a serious need for some 'normal' communication. And she had been trained well; she wasn't going to give them information they could use against her or her agency, but maybe if she got them to talk she could learn more about her own situation. "I had some of my team looking for the electronic patterns for several days. They said it's about one of the most complicated things they had ever done, but after four days they cracked the code and we were able to track you down. You know the rest."

"I think we both do" Lydecker replied and couldn't hide a nasty grin which she returned with a frown.

"If you killed only one of my team I swear to God…!" Victoria began angrily and stood up but froze when the two young soldiers suddenly moved, their body language and facial expressions making it very clear to everybody what they were gonna do if she decided to attack one of the older men. Vic glanced at both of them and couldn't deny a small amount of fear; she knew a soldier when she saw one, could even distinct several kinds of them, and those two – just like almost everybody else she had seen when she had been escorted to this cell a little bit less than three days ago – were some of the dangerous kind. She could see in their eyes that they had killed before and although she was treated with respect she was sure they would not hesitate to injure or kill her if they thought it was necessary. Nobody spoke a word and slowly Victoria sat back down.

"We left your team were you found us" Lydecker informed her, trying to ease the tension a little bit. "When we left all of them were unconscious but still breathing and if our intel is correct they have all reported back to base, some of them injured but alive."

"So you know I really am NCIS" Vic stated, somehow relieved her team was safe although she couldn't say for sure this man was telling the truth. Lydecker nodded. "Then why are you keeping me here?"

"Because you saw things you were not supposed to see" Meyer answered that question. "We are dealing with a very difficult situation at the moment and until I am convinced you're not a part of the problem you will remain here. If you need something inform the guards, otherwise you will stay here. Do you understand?"

"That's kidnapping!" she hissed and stood up, this time ignoring the warning signs from the soldiers. "I'm a US federal agent, you can't do that!"

"Sure I can." Vic didn't know what irritated her more; the fact that she was held prisoner or that this man kept talking about it like the most natural thing in the world.

"My people will come looking for me!"

"They already are, Special Agent Gibbs" Meyer said with a small smile. "But I'm afraid they will not find you and even if they will, we are very capable of defending ourselves. If you really are who you claim to be you have nothing to worry about. Consider this as a prolonged vacation. Now, if you would excuse me, I have a base to run."

The two men left and after a second the two black-clad soldiers followed them, closing the door behind them. When the door was locked Vic suddenly screamed in anger and threw her metal chair against the steel door. Damn, she would so kick somebody's butt once she got out of that cell!

Outside the two men chuckled, clearly amused by her actions and even the two transgenics allowed themselves a small smile.

"What do you think, Zira?" Meyer wanted to know from the female. Zira was one of the few Delta transgenics who had not been primarily designed for combat; her specialties were interrogations and counterintelligence.

"I'm not sure, Colonel" she answered slowly. "She seems to be telling the truth but I only had limited access to her files. Some of the tech guys are working on it, you will have my report as soon as they can give me more intel."

"Very well. Carry on."

* * *

"You're really starting to annoy me, you little piece of garbage!" Jondy growled at the hard disk.

"You know that thing can't hear you, right?" Logan asked her with a weird glance. They – he, Max and Jondy – had been working on that thing for hours now and nevertheless Jondy didn't stop talking to it like her threats were gonna make their work any easier.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that" she grinned. "Sometimes it works."

"Yeah, right!" Max snorted but became serious again. "I still don't get it. Why did he have that thing with him?"

"Don't know, but we're gonna find out, don't worry." Jondy knew exactly what Max was talking about; they had found that external hard disk on Wolf during their flight to Switzerland. It didn't make any sense. Why should he carry such a thing with him when his duty apparently was to protect Renfro? Perhaps that was the information Logan's contact 'S' had been talking about, but they were not sure. Just another secret to add to their never ending list of questions. The female transgenic sighed and tried another code on the seemingly useless data only to be disappointed again. But, she thought with a mean smirk, they had time and sooner or later they would crack the code.

"You know that you don't stand a chance against us, don't you?" she threateningly said to the hard drive and ignored the very strange looks Max was giving her again.

"You heard something about him?"

"No" Jondy replied uneasily. "Not since the last briefing."

The head physician of the base had informed them yesterday about Wolf. Physically their brother seemed to be fine but a scan had detected several anomalies in his brain activity. In addition the scientists had found something mechanical in his bloodstream, something they called nanites. Jondy had heard about those things, but only in sci-fi novels and movies. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be a threat to the outside but it was clear Manticore had put it in their sibling. They didn't know what it was, what it was supposed to do and they sure as hell did not know how to extract it from his body. The small medical surveillance chip in his arm – they had decided to leave it there for now as it was not strong enough to send out a signal to anybody – could be called antique compared to that kind of technology.

Logan was quite fascinated himself. It had been a long time since he'd met a real challenge and he was determined to crack that code but he had to admit it would probably take longer than they'd originally thought. Somehow the information seemed incomplete.

"You do know I could work much better if you'd grant me access to the network, right?" he asked the two transgenics although he already knew the answer.

"And you do know it's a small miracle Meyer lets you work at a computer at all!" Max informed him with a sweet smile. "I'm actually surprised you didn't end up in a holding cell when he met you first."

"Right" Jondy laughed. "The last time you hacked his firewalls he was so angry I was afraid he was gonna have a heart attack!"

Logan grinned but had to admit the two women had a point there. It was surprising he was allowed to work on the hard drive with them; after all he had thought he would wake up on the cold concrete floor of a holding cell once they arrived, instead he was allowed to move freely as long as at least one transgenic soldier was with him and his access to every sort of electronic equipment – while permitted to some extent – was always under surveillance. It was much better than he had expected.

"Okay, that's it" Max groaned and stretched her muscles. "I'm gonna get something to eat. Who's with me?"

"Coming" Jondy agreed and had to stifle a yawn. "Logan?"

"Yeah, food sounds good." He got up and followed the two of them out of the room. On their short way to the mess they met a few Delta transgenics who greeted them and eyed Logan curiously. They weren't suspicious or even hostile; it was just a friendly way of showing their interest in one of their latest guests. Max noticed Logan's slight reservation and she understood it all too well; living amongst all those genetically enhanced killing-machines was probably the same for him as it had been for her living amongst ordinaries right after her first escape in '09. She shrugged and decided to let him make his own decisions; he was free to go whenever he wanted after all, it was up to him; during their flight from the airport both he and Zane had been blindfolded so there was no way they could tell anybody where Fortress Delta was situated. At least he seemed to finally have fully grown accustomed to the fact that their relationship – if there had ever been one – was over.

The mess was nearly empty; Max could only see a few Deltas from platoon three and two ordinary guards and one trainer. And in the corner of the room she spotted Zane who was having a conversation with Jazi and Zeb from platoon one. Jazi was grinning broadly and also her brother Zeb couldn't hide his amused smirk.

The trio gathered some food and coffee before they made their way to the table and sat down.

"What happened, Zane?" Jondy asked. "You look like somebody killed your dog."

"Don't ask!" he replied grudgingly.

"He played war-basketball against Jazi" Zeb explained and shrugged as if to say: 'not my fault.'

"And you got your ass kicked" Max laughed. When Zane gave her a sour look she tried to calm down. "Sorry, Zane, it's just that Jazi practically invented that game! Oh, what would I give to have been there! My big brother getting his…"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Zane exclaimed but couldn't hide his own smile anymore, then looked at Jazi and Zeb. "One of you could've told me!"

"And where would have been my fun?" the black-haired female Delta smirked. Zane shook his head, but seemed to be in a better mood than a minute ago. Max was still a little bit surprised he had not taken off as soon as possible but she suspected that even while he hated being amongst transgenics who had accepted their lives as soldiers he also liked the possibility of having a few days without the constant stress of being a '09er on the run. And then there was also Brin, she thought with a small grin.

She sensed three other people entering the mess and after a few minutes she could feel the woman they had brought with them – the federal agent – sit down behind her but she didn't turn around as she could also feel the presence of the interrogation expert, Zira, and another Delta. Apparently they had decided their prisoner needed to stretch her legs a little bit and eat something. Max mentally shrugged, it was not her problem.

"So, how do you think we need to get past that damned encryption?" Jondy finally asked.

"No idea" Logan sighed. He didn't like it but until now they had not made much progress. "I just can't see where we could break through."

"Yeah, it's like somebody knows exactly what we're trying" Max agreed. She was not as good as Logan and Jondy at breaking codes, but her sister had trained her during their spare time back at Manticore and she was definitely much better than before her recapture. "It's nothing I've ever seen before."

"It almost seems like something is missing. If I ever meet the guy who did this I want to learn everything about it", Jondy nodded.

Suddenly, as if on cue, all conversations ended abruptly. For the transgenics it was like somebody had splashed them with cold water, they could feel the tension in the room had risen as if on a silent signal. With a start Max turned around and got aware of Zira who was staring at the prisoner. Victoria, on the other hand, tensed up when she felt all eyes on her and looked from one transgenic to another with sudden incertitude.

"What do you know?" Zira asked her voice sharp as a razorblade.

"What are you talking about? I don't…" Vic began but in the next instant cried out when the female Delta grabbed her hand and twisted roughly, almost breaking her wrist.

"Zira!" Zeb shouted and jumped to his feet but a small hiss from the interrogation expert stopped him.

"She knows something" Zira growled quietly. She had watched that supposed federal agent the whole time and while Vic probably thought that it was pure coincidence that her two minders had led her to this particular table it was a cold and calculating move on the Delta's behalf. Vic had listened to the conversations going on around her and Zira had very well recognized the small signs of somebody remembering something from the past on her face. "You better tell me, or I'm really gonna hurt you!"

"Let go!" Vic shouted. "You're breaking my hand!"

"That's the plan" Zira smirked evilly. "But only if you don't talk. What did you remember?"

"It was nothing! When she said" – she briefly glanced at Jondy and her face twisted in pain when Zira added a little bit more pressure – "when she said something was missing I thought back of my old team leader. He used to break up the electronic files on his laptop, kept one part with him and the other in the office."

Zira starred at her for a few more seconds and then finally let go of the poor woman's hand. Logan, who had been watching the whole scenery in silence but with growing disgust towards the Delta soldier, approached her slowly.

"You say he broke up the files" he began. "How?"

"How should I know?" Vic snapped, pressing her hurt arm against her chest. "I'm a field agent, not a damned MIT graduate! He kept one part of the files on one hard disc, the other on a second one."

"That's not very smart" Zane interjected. "It's not difficult to steal both hard discs and combine the data. That's nothing the military would ever do."

Logan did not answer but looked at Vic, deep in thoughts. Suddenly his face lit up and he laughed out loud.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "Oh, we're so stupid!"

He took a step forward and before anybody could react he pulled the completely surprised Victoria in a strong embrace.

"You are a genius!" he told her. Everybody was watching him with incredulous and completely confused eyes.

"Uhm…Logan?" Max spoke up. "Would you mind telling us what's going on?"

"Renfro is not military" Logan tried to explain but both Jondy and Max kept looking at him, not at all understanding what was going on. He sighed and grabbed both of their hands. "I'll tell you on the way, move, we have work to do!"

They left the mess in an obvious hurry, leaving everybody else behind. They watched them leave, all of them feeling completely dumbstruck.

"Does he do that often?" Jazi wanted to know, looking at Zane with a very bewildered expression.

"How should I know?" the '09er muttered. "That ordinary really gives me the creeps sometimes!"

* * *

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in…

Kyla watched Wolf's unmoving form with the utmost patience. He was strapped to the hospital bed, his body partly covered with the white blanket and his eyes closed. She had been sitting on the chair next to the bed for about an hour, not disturbing him but trying to take in every detail. He had lost a little bit of weight since she'd seen him the last time near Strasbourg, but he wasn't skinny; from what she could see – and from what she had experienced – he was still as strong as before, maybe even stronger. She thought back to what had happened in those woods in Wyoming and frowned. She had not broken down and she wasn't going to. He had hesitated, she had seen it. He could have killed her but he didn't. She knew deep down there had been something holding him back. Or at least she desperately clung to that hope.

She flinched slightly when the wound on her shoulder suddenly started to itch again. The stab wound was healing just fine but sometimes the itching, caused by the accelerated healing process, drove her almost insane but she knew from her own experience things would only get worse if she scratched it. But that was her feline DNA; if a cat got an itch, it scratched, and it drove her crazy she couldn't.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught Wolf's sudden and silent smirk. It was gone in a split second but she had seen it. She glared at him and cocked her head a little bit to the side; he remained silent and unmoving but now she'd had enough.

"I knew you're awake the second I entered the room, you know" she informed him briskly. He didn't react and she sighed, feeling more and more irritated. Finally she stood up and did the one thing she knew would give her a reaction. At the sound of her palm connection with the top of his head his eyes flew open and he growled at her, but didn't try to attack; he had already found out the hard way that the restraints would even hold down a transgenic. Kyla just smiled at him innocently. "Wow, I have to tell Jondy this doesn't only work on Alec. And stop growling, will you? You're gonna hurt your vocal cords."

"I see you have not lost your humor, 301" he answered darkly.

"Hey, you're talking again" she quipped. "What a miracle!"

He narrowed his eyes at her but didn't say anything. Instead his eyes began to wander over her body in a way she really didn't like. He moved slightly and flinched as if the movement was causing him pain. Finally he stared at her shoulder.

"What?" she asked. "Wondering if your handiwork is paying off? I will live, thank you for your concern."

"Cynicism was never one of your stronger traits" he stated matter-of-factly, in a voice a scientist would use to talk about a guinea pig. "You have changed, 301."

"Yeah, well, losing somebody you have known since you can remember might do that to one." Kyla was doing her best to hide her worry behind her anger; if she stopped doing that she would probably _really_ break down. "But having aforementioned someone coming back and trying to kill me really pisses me off!"

She glared at him for a few more moments but he remained as stoic as before. She shook her head and sighed.

"What did they do to you?"

"They showed me where I was wrong, where we were wrong. But you know that."

"Right" she snorted. "Let me guess; dear and caring Renfro told you that it was all just a big misunderstanding and she has nothing to do with the Alliance, right? How could we be so stupid? Do you think I should call her and apologize? Damned PsyOps-babbling!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" he sneered and flinched again. At the sound of a door being opened Kyla turned around and got aware of Kara. The X7 looked at both of them, slightly surprised.

"You got him to talk?"

"Yep, but he's not making much sense." Kyla gave Wolf a smile which could only be described as predatory.

"Yeah, PsyOps" Kara agreed.

"Quiet, X7!" the only male in the room growled but the girl wasn't intimidated.

"I will start to take orders from you again after we've undone your programming" Kara informed him briefly. She didn't like seeing him like that. Even amongst the younger X-series X5-451 and X5-301 had been known; some of their missions had been used as demonstrations for her unit and seeing him now like this – hating his own unit and brainwashed into believing their enemies – hurt her.

"I have not been…ah… brainwashed" he snapped but flinched again and gasped, half in surprise.

Both female transgenics exchanged a worried glance. He wasn't faking it, they could tell as much.

"Wolf, what's going on?" Kyla demanded to know in a worried tone. He just grinned at her evilly.

"None of your business. It will be over before you can start interrogating me", he said with a morbid joy before a small yelp of pain escaped his lips. Kyla reached out for his tied down hand and checked his pulse; it was racing and his skin was hot.

"Gods, he's burning up" she whispered. "Kara, get the Colonel, now!"

The girl was gone in the blink of an eye and Kyla followed her immediately, shouting for the physician on duty.

* * *

_Manticore Facility, Gilette Wyoming_

At the sound of a door being opened Major Cottle looked up from the report on his desk and groaned.

"I really don't need any more applications now, Agent Sandoval!"

"Oh, that's not what I'm here for" the bald-patched man grinned. He closed the door again and sat down opposite the facility's head physician, then produced a hip flask out of his pocket. "A drink?"

"What's the occasion?"

"Well, if my calculations are correct – and they are – Ogawa's little toys should start working about now."

"And you think that's something to celebrate?" Cottle growled. "I've told you before; there is no guarantee it will work the way we hope it will. If they removed the chip or if it doesn't…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" Sandoval interrupted him briskly. "'If' and 'when' and 'what if'. We could go on like that for hours. For example if Renfro ever finds out I was the one sending messages to Eyes Only I will be dead only minutes later. Cheer up, doc, it's gonna be fine. Those X5s are tough, he's gonna make it. And when they come back we will finally get rid of that witch."

"Let's hope so. But we can't be sure about that and even if the procedure is successful, it's gonna hurt like hell. He will have to die to make this a success, you know that."

"Yes, I do" Sandoval agreed, suddenly very solemnly, and took a swig before offering the flask to Cottle. "But I also know this: If he could choose that boy would rather die than live the life she forced upon him."

Cottle took the small bottle and stared at it intensely for a few seconds. Maybe Sandoval was right, maybe there really was some hope; only a fool's hope, though. He shook his head and sighed.

"Very well, let's hope for the best, _'Mister S'_. To Director Elizabeth Renfro, may she rot in hell!"

"Amen to that!"

* * *

"We don't know what it is." Max listened attentively to what the doctor was telling them, trying to ignore his horrible accent. Her whole unit had gathered outside the room were the medical staff was working on Wolf. "Somehow it seems like those nanites are manipulating his brain activity, at least that's what the last scan is showing."

"What's happening to him?" Lydecker wanted to know and Max almost flinched when the physician shrugged with a helpless expression on his face.

"We don't know. It looks like his brain is being manipulated to send false signals to the rest of this body. Basically his head is telling the rest of his body to die."

"How do you stop it?" Kyla demanded to know in a hard voice.

"We don't know."

"What the hell do you mean you don't…" Kyla snapped.

"Soldier" Lydecker barked and she shut up immediately. "You're out of line!"

"Yes, sir!" the black-haired woman replied with a small nod, her whole composure showing very clear she actually wanted to say something else. Lydecker narrowed his eyes at her.

"All of you, leave us alone for a couple of minutes!"

"Sir, I think we…" Artemis began but trailed off when she saw the look her CO was giving her.

"This ain't a damned democracy" Lydecker informed them tensely. "Out! Now!"

Reluctantly the Manticore transgenics left and stepped out onto the floor. As soon as the door was closed again Kyla cursed violently but Max wasn't listening to her. They were all nervous. As soon as the word had gotten out that something was wrong with her twin the whole unit had gathered here and being shut out like this did not do any good to their nerves. She tried to imagine what was going on, what Renfro and PsyOps might have been doing to her brother but she knew even her imagination was probably not enough to figure out what had happened during his reindoctrination.

"Are you okay?" She turned around to see Alec who had approached her silently.

"Peachy" she growled and tried to turn away when he grabbed her by her shoulders. She gave him a warning glare. "Careful."

"Stop being like that, Maxie" he tried to calm her down and for once she didn't even bother to threaten him for calling her that. "I'm only trying to help, okay?"

"Great job!" she muttered but immediately regretted her words when she saw the hurt look on his face. "Sorry, I didn't mean it."

"Sure" he replied, but still looked hurt.

"When have you grown so concerned for my well-being anyway?" she tried to lighten the mood.

"Don't know, a while ago" he shrugged, trying to sound casually.

"It's not like your usual cocky self, so forgive me if I'm a little bit surprised" she continued to mock him and suddenly realized how close he was standing to her all of a sudden. "Seriously, Alec, ever since I left with Ares and Kyla you've been so…caring. Don't get me wrong, but sometimes it's kinda freaking me out."

"Don't like it?" he smirked and for a second she could see the arrogant X5 again, just like the first time she'd met him.

"Alec, seriously. Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he stated with a sudden honesty and sadness that threw her completely off-balance. She didn't know what to say, just kept staring at him with wide eyes.

"Alec…I…" she stuttered but at the sudden sound of an alarm turned towards the closed door. Kyla was the fastest and stormed right back into the room and the rest of her siblings followed her immediately.

"Didn't I tell you to stay outside?" Lydecker barked but for the first time in her life Kyla completely ignored him. In the observation room the team of medics was moving around quickly, almost frantically and whatever was happening they all knew it wasn't something good. Wolf was trembling again, but like before his eyes remained closed but even in his only half-conscious state they could see he was in terrible pain.

"200 Milligramm Adrenalin, jetze!" the doctor who had spoken to them only minutes ago shouted at his nurses. He was giving his orders in his native language and they didn't understand all of it. One of the nurses gave him a syringe and he injected the contents directly into Wolf's chest, most probably right into his heart.

"Blade, what's going on?" Artemis asked the Asian transgenic; Blade had learned most of the Swiss native language by now.

"They're talking about adrenaline" she informed her siblings without taking her eyes of the whole scenery. "I don't know why."

"Verdammt!" the doctor shouted again, oblivious to his scared and upset audience. "Chammerflemmere. Defibrillator!"

The nurses and doctors worked as quickly and efficiently as they could but to an outsider it still looked like utter chaos.

And suddenly the line on Wolf's heart monitor went flat.

* * *

**Okay, first off all: What the doctor was saying is – kind of – one of the dialects of Swiss German. There doesn't exist a real and fix grammar, but you get the point. There are no translations in this chapter because there isn't much that he is saying but if I should use more of that language later I will translate it at the end of the chapter.**

**Well, anyway, I'm trying to figure out what to do next, kind of depends on how my week's gonna start.**

**See ya later!**


	21. Truth and Reconciliation

**First of all, I hope you all have spent Merry Christmas and I already wish you a happy New Year!**

**That said, let's get down to business. I know it took me some time but with all the stress over the last two weeks I hope you can forgive me. Now, for all of you who are getting a little bit impatient with me and want to see some action, here's a small 'table of contents' about how I plan to proceed from this chapter on.**

**1. Wolf coming home and unit two together with Logan discovering the secrets of the Alliance.**

**2. Planning the counterattack and deploying forces.**

**3. Fight.**

**Now as I said, this is my planning. And as I like to quote Murphy I'm just saying this: No plan has ever survived initial contact. But I will do my best to not hold you up for too long with theory anymore but unfortunately it's an important part, so bear with me if you can, please.**

**And one last thing: This chapter will deal with a lot of emotions. Most of all during the last part you will see some things that might not be the characters usual behavior and at first I did not intend to write it that way until I had a rather extreme and sad experience on the 23. with a close friend of mine who works for the Disaster Response Team of the Swiss Army. Let's just say it wasn't pretty. Those of you who know somebody who has suffered from PTSD at one point of his life or have experienced it yourself will probably know what I'm talking about.**

**This is NOT to keep you from reading; it's just supposed to be a small warning. Don't like, don't read.**

**And of course once again a huge 'THANK YOU' to my reviewers!**

**Jasper's Imaginary Friend:** Well, I hope you could sleep a little bit during the last weeks *g* and there's no need for crying (I know, I know, I'm just too merciful) Thanks for your review. There will be some information about the hard drive in this chapter and a detailed part about it in the next. Hope you're still out there.

**cappys:** Thanks to you, too! Okay, about the family discussion: Another part is in this chapter and I have to admit I had a rather hard time writing that part and I'm still not really sure if I got it right. I hope so. And well, you just know me. Couldn't kill 451. Tried to, but couldn't. And Sandoval? *grin* yep, that was one of my more twisted thoughts *gg*.

**452max:** Glad you liked it. Yes, Max and Alec are gonna have another talk…of some…sort…uhm. Ah, just read *g*. Thanks to you again, too!

**Taeniaea:** And of course a huge thanks to once again, too!

* * *

"Kyla, you have to rest!" Max said to her older sister in an almost pleading voice. "You have been here for five days now!"

"I will rest when he has woken up" the slightly taller woman informed her briskly, not taking her eyes off the unmoving form in the other room. Max exchanged a worried glance with Artemis, but the sniper could only shrug. Ever since Wolf's heart had stopped Kyla had barely ever left the infirmary and if she did it was only for a few minutes. She hadn't eaten, hadn't slept and she looked worse than they had seen her in a long time. Her body was still healing and she needed her strength for that but nobody dared to force her out of her room and away from her partner.

The only one who had tried was Artemis and Max still felt very uneasy when she remembered that moment.

* * *

_When Wolf's heartbeat stopped they were all shocked and watched the doctors' attempts to reanimate him with terror and fear. After about four minutes – the longest four minutes of Max's life – and several shocks with the defibrillator the monitor suddenly picked up a weak signal and they all sighed in relief, some could barely suppress a sob. But Kyla didn't make a sound, didn't even move a muscle. She was still standing in the same spot and stared at the bed with wide eyes and pale as a ghost._

_Finally the doctor entered their room and looked at them with his lips firmly pressed together._

"_Don't even ask, I know what's on your mind. He's alive but I don't know for how long. The seizures keep coming in shorter waves and the next one could be even worse. And we won't be able to do that again!" he informed them briskly. "We gave him so much stimulants and adrenalin his heart can't take another one."_

"_Will he survive?" Lydecker wanted to know._

"_How should I know? We don't even know what's going on in his body. We have to watch him closely, but I can't tell you anything yet. Now leave, I have no use for so many visitors. I will inform you if anything changes."_

"_You heard the man" Lydecker ordered them silently. "Let's go."_

_One after the other they left the room._

"_Kyla, are you coming?" Blade asked, but her sister didn't move; in fact the Asian X5 wasn't even sure she'd heard her. "Kyla?"_

"_Come on, Kyla, there's nothing you can do for him right now" Artemis tried and approached her sister slowly. When the black-haired X5 didn't move she grabbed her arm and tried to guide her towards the door when the older transgenic suddenly shook her off violently and barred her teeth at her sibling and made a threatening noise none of them had never heard before. It was high-pitched, partly a hiss and partly a growl but most of all it was so utterly feral everybody in the room froze instantly._

"_Let her" Lydecker decided after a brief moment of hesitation. He knew if he ordered the female X5 to leave she would do it, simply because she wouldn't – couldn't – refuse an order if it came directly from him. But he understood all too well why she wanted to stay and silently he agreed with her. "If she wants to stay that's fine by me; we need somebody to keep an eye on him anyway. Let's go."_

* * *

That had been five days ago and Max could tell her older sister wasn't about to move out of her free will. At the sound of a door being opened she turned around just as Ares entered the room. He glanced at her and she answered the silent question with a brisk shake of her head.

'_No change.'_

He sighed and went to Kyla's side, watching Wolf's unmoving form for about a minute before he spoke up.

"Lydecker sent me. You are both needed in Briefing Room four." He looked at Kyla who didn't even move. "It's an order, Kyla, so go. I will stay here until you get back."

Slowly, the black-haired X5 turned towards him and eyed him intensely. To Max it seemed like there was some sort of communication going on between them, something she didn't understand but after about a minute Kyla nodded and to Max's surprise moved away from the window that separated her from her partner. Max and Artemis were quick to follow her out of the room but not without giving the Delta soldier a grateful glance which he returned with a casual nod.

Once outside the three women marched through the grey corridors without exchanging a word and Max could tell Kyla didn't like being away from Wolf at all but nevertheless the grim determination on her face remained all the same when they arrived at their destination where the rest of their team together with Kara and the Colonel, the former Manticore black ops and Logan were waiting for them. When everybody was seated the Lydecker gave Jondy a small nod which the brown-haired transgenic returned before she began.

"As you all know, Logan, Max and myself have been trying to decipher the information on the hard drive we found on Wolf. Nothing we did worked and it seemed like something was missing. Now when we were talking to the prisoner, Victoria Gibbs, Logan came up with something: Renfro is not military. She's a politician, of some sort at least, and she doesn't know about our usual procedures. We on the other hand tried all the time to get past her protections like we always did. We used military decrypting, our usual procedures and so on. When Logan pointed out that Renfro wasn't like that we had like some sort of epiphany." Jondy suddenly grinned and although they could see she was tired the pride in her eyes was obvious. "Four hours ago we connected the information on Wolf's hard drive with the one you brought back from your mission in Italy, Kyla, and it looks like we finally brought the walls down. Separately the intel on both hard drives was mostly not useable but connected they started to repair each other – in a very twisted and strange way, I agree, but it works. The program is still running and from what we can tell until know it may take us more than a day to reconstruct all the data. But it is there and we will have it at our disposal very soon."

"What kind of information are we talking about?" Alec wanted to know.

"Everything" Jondy smiled. "I could only look at small parts of it but there's everything. Operations, locations, agents…the list goes on. We might have found the Holy Grail of this war."

"Why would Renfro – or anybody in Manticore – keep such intel?" Coleman voiced his doubts. "That makes no sense."

"Yes it does" the Colonel corrected his friend as an understanding smile crept over his face. "Lizzy isn't like we are, Patrick. Mister Cale is right, she isn't military, she's more like a politician – a very back-stabbing and conniving one. Of course she would keep something like this for herself. It's the perfect information to blackmail somebody if she would ever have to go against somebody in her own organization."

Logan just nodded and silently agreed with the older man. He and Jondy had discussed this already and had come to the same conclusion.

"How long until you can give us definitive intel?" Lydecker was watching her attentively. Jondy was a very calm but perceptive young woman and if she thought this was big it most certainly was. He could feel how the soldiers in the room – ordinaries and transgenics alike – grew more confident and attentive by the second. It seemed like they had stumbled upon something really important.

"A few days" she informed him. "We have to sort it out, analyze everything and combine what we can use. But it shouldn't be too long. There is, however, something else."

Immediately waves of concern and slight worry started coming from the X5s when they heard the slight hesitation in their sibling's voice.

"Some of the first data we were able to decrypt are video files. As far as we can tell they have been intentionally placed on the hard drive in a way we would most likely look at them first. I would like to show you but I must warn you as well: You are not gonna believe this!" Despite her words Jondy had a wide and happy grin on her face.

"Do it" Lydecker ordered her briskly and Jondy nodded towards Logan who tipped in a few orders into his laptop and suddenly the big screen behind him came to live and everybody gasped in surprise.

"Son of a bitch!" Sergeant O'Neill whispered in awe while Lydecker himself was too astonished to say anything.

"_Hey there, whoever you are"_ Agent Sandoval greeted them. _"Well, I certainly hope it's you watching this now, Colonel Lydecker, and if not at least somebody who has connections with unit two. And if it's you, Director Renfro, well, let's just say I will see you in hell!"_

The video recording had been made in what seemed to be an old storage room, most likely in one of the barracks at the Wyoming facility which weren't used anymore. Sandoval was sitting on a chair in the middle of the dimly lit room, but he was not alone.

"_If you're watching this, Colonel"_ Sandoval continued after a short pause, _"you have most likely succeeded in rescuing X5-451 and I hope you made it safely back to wherever you are at the moment. You will have to watch him closely, his medical condition is…difficult, to say the least. But I'm sure you would like to hear the details from the expert."_

He looked at the white-haired man who was sitting to his left who nodded briefly before staring into the camera.

"_As you have most likely found out already X5-451 has undergone PsyOps and reindoctrination_" Doctor Cottle began, his gruff voice somehow calming the present transgenics who remembered the grumpy but still gentle physician all too well; he had always been one of the few ordinaries back at Manticore who treated them with respect. _"I will not go into the details now, because first that would take too long and second you wouldn't understand it at all. No offence, Deck!"_

The old doctor had a small smirk on his face and X5s and ordinaries alike gave the Colonel a few glances and grins as well while Lydecker himself could only shake his head at his old friend's humor.

"_Renfro and a scientist by the name of Jashuri Ogawa have discovered a way to directly influence the brain chemistry of a person. It's all very complicated but basically they inject a subject with a mixture of psychotropics and something they call nanites. These are microscopic robots, programmed with a special task. I'm sure you have already discovered them but I can assure you they can't harm you. They were matched specifically with 451's genetics so they won't be able to do anything to any of you. Once in the body those nanites start to manipulate the subject's brain and with enough time they are adapted and numerous enough to change his thinking patterns, his beliefs and ultimately his actions."_ At this a somber look was on the old physician's face. _"I can assure it is painful, much more than anything I have ever seen. And the nanites have a failsafe. Every four weeks they need to be recharged, so to speak. If this isn't done they will start to attack the body, ultimately killing him. Now because the three of us were pretty sure you would eventually get him out I have taken some precautions. If you have already found the medical surveillance chip in his shoulder: Leave it where it is. If you've taken it out: Put it back, right now! I managed to have a look at Ogawa's files and I developed a countermeasure to the nanites' failsafe. The chip contains inactive nanites which I have programmed to fight the original ones Ogawa injected him with. It will take time and I can't guarantee you it will be successful, but it's the best I could do; I hope it will work. Now once the original nanites will start their attack 451 will develop high fever and he will have seizures much like the ones we already know. In the end the whole process will lead to a cardiac arrest so you will have to reanimate him. An electric shock – for example from a defibrillator – will activate the medical ship and set free my countermeasures. It will take them several days to get rid of Ogawa's work, but in the end all the nanites should be destroyed and then removed from his system along with the ones I gave him. Again, this will be painful and there's no guarantee it will work but if you manage to keep him alive until he wakes up he should make a full recovery and if a full body scan reveals no nanites anymore we were successful."_

At Lydecker's silent sign Logan stopped the video feed. The old officer looked at Jondy, his face like stone and his eyes full of dread.

"Tell me" he began slowly, looking from Jondy to Nova and then back to Jondy again. "Tell me we did this right."

To his relief Jondy smiled calmly and nodded.

"We did, Colonel. I spoke to the physician on duty before I called you here. The medical chip is still in Wolf's shoulder and they used the defibrillator and it was only after this that he started to get a little bit better."

Lydecker closed his eyes and exhaled deeply and he could feel how everybody around him relaxed a little bit and heard also several relieved groans and the whole room seemed to hold less of a tension than a second ago. The former CO of Manticore allowed himself to feel a tiny bit of hope and nodded at Logan. "Play the rest of it!"

The video came to life again and this time it was the third man who spoke up.

"_Now maybe you wonder what I'm doing here"_ McGinnis said with a tiny grin. _"For now I will not do anything, just because I'm in no position that could provide any advantage at the moment. I will be your silent guardian, Deck. If you want to finally beat Renfro you will have to come back, fight her right where she is and if you want to do that you will need the support of some people in Washington DC. If there is any information, any message you need to give to them, contact me. For now I'm of no interest to Renfro and I will make sure it stays that way."_

He nodded at Sandoval to signal he had nothing more to say and the bald-patched man faced the camera again, his expression almost grim this time.

"_I know this must seem unusual to you, Colonel, the three of us conspiring against Renfro, most of all myself."_ Lydecker nodded briskly, most of all to himself and almost involuntarily. _"I know I have been working under her command for some time, but that doesn't mean I'm working __**for**__ her. I work for the United States of America and if you remember correctly, Colonel, during the time when I was your subordinate you never had any complaints against me or my loyalty. If you need a proof for my loyalty, ask Eyes Only – or Logan Cale if you prefer – if he has been contacted several times now by somebody who calls himself 'S' who's been giving him intel about Renfro, when she's leaving the base, when she's coming back, how strong her escort is and so on. He will be able to show you the e-mails I've sent him. If Renfro is a traitor – which we clearly believe she is – you need to find evidence and bring her to justice, that's our goal. I'm not loyal to a person, Colonel, I'm loyal to my country and its ideals. I hope you still are as well."_

He breathed deeply before he continued.

"_Now, everybody who's working at the facility gets scanned before leaving the compound so there is no chance any of us can bring this information to you. I will hide this video on a hard drive I will give to X5-451 whenever he leaves the compound to escort Director Renfro. As her advisor I also gained access to her personal laptop. I found a lot of electronic files on it but until now I've been unable to decipher them. I hope you will have more success. There are also additional information about the reindoctrination process 451 went through. We know there is something going on, something big, but until now we couldn't find out what it is. Let's hope with what we're giving you here you will. Anything else?"_

He looked first at McGinnis who shook his head and then at Cottle. The physician hesitated for a few seconds and then nodded before facing the camera again.

"_Deck…you have to be careful. That boy went through hell and I really mean it. There are some video files from his reindoctrination sessions on this hard drive; they can give you some sort of idea of what I'm talking about. I can assure you he resisted for as long as he could but everybody has a breaking point. He did what he could to buy you and his team as much time as possible and whatever he has done after that was not his own will. He did some…rather extreme things to avoid the reindoctrination but you will get that from the files as well. When he wakes up, just remember one thing: The nanites dictated his actions, it was not him. As soon as they are gone it will be for him like somebody flipped a switch within his head. He will be back to his old self but he will remember everything he has done. I know he is strong – they all are – but perhaps he will need more than his own strength to overcome this one. Watch the other video files we send you but be advised, they are not pretty, not at all. We did what we could, now it's up to you. I really – we really hope to see you soon, together with Wolf. Godspeed, to all of you!"_

After that the screen went black.

Nobody spoke a word and for several minutes they were all lost in their thoughts, trying to wrap their minds around what they'd just heard. Finally Lydecker stood up and slowly walked towards Jondy and Logan who were waiting with calm patience.

"You contacted the medical wing?" he asked Jondy who nodded quietly.

"They're conducting a body scan as we speak."

Lydecker nodded and turned towards Logan. "And it was you who found out how to crack the code?"

"Actually your prisoner gave me the idea" Logan informed him quietly. Somehow he felt like speaking too loud would be like an insult for Max and her siblings who were watching him closely, all of them in some kind of semi-shock from what they'd just seen and heard. "As Jondy said already, the program is working as we speak but it will take several days until all the files are decoded and organized."

"I don't know how much this means to you, Mister Cale" the older man said slowly, carefully choosing every word, "but thank you."

Logan just nodded, surprised by the Colonel's open gratefulness but even more by the emotions in the old officer's eyes. Perhaps Max was right and he had really changed. He still wasn't working for Lydecker and would never do so, but he had come to understand what the older man was trying to do was the right thing. In a very twisted way this was like an Eyes Only mission, tracking down and bringing down the bad guys, only on a much higher scale.

"Alec, inform Colonel Meyer about this" Lydecker ordered, feeling nobody in the room would move if he didn't make them to. "Jondy, get some sleep, you need it. You as well, Kyla."

"Understood, Colonel" was Alec's short response.

"Yes, sir."

"I'm needed in the infirmary, sir" Kyla objected quietly, but without the usual stubbornness she had displayed during the last few days. She – like everybody else in the room – was still trying to understand and believe that this video was real and true. This time, however, Lydecker wasn't gonna accept it.

"I'm giving you a direct order, Kyla" he said a little bit more sternly. "You will eat and get a few hours of sleep. As long as Wolf's condition doesn't change you are not allowed in the infirmary for the next twelve hours, understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the female X5 nodded with gritted teeth.

"Nova, contact the physician on duty as soon as that body scan has been done. I want the report on my table while the ink is still fresh."

"Wilco, sir" the blond medic nodded.

"As for the rest of you, return to your quarters. You will be informed as soon as there is any change. Any questions?" Nobody spoke up and Lydecker finally nodded. "Dismissed!"

One after the other they left the room but just when Max wanted to leave Lydecker held her back.

"Max, care for a walk?"

"Sir?"

"Relax" he said with a reassuring smile when he saw her confusion. "There's just something I'd like to talk to you about."

Hearing this Max tensed but nonetheless nodded and followed him out onto the corridor. The others had already left and the two of them slowly started walking towards the general direction of their quarters.

"What do you want to ask me, sir?" she inquired when he didn't say a word for several minutes. He glanced at her and gave her a calm smile which somehow confused her even more.

"I think we need to talk about that letter, Max" he finally informed her and she briefly closed her eyes. She should have seen that one coming!

"I…suggest we should" she agreed rather reluctantly.

"Why did you write it?" he wanted to know.

"I'm not sure." She was searching for the right answers. "I guess I wasn't entirely sure whether we would make it back or not and I…I just wanted you to know."

"I see" he murmured. There was a moment of silence between the two of them until he continued. "You see, a few months ago Meyer asked me what I was feeling for you and the others; at that time I didn't know the answer. I knew I didn't see you only as soldiers anymore but I wasn't sure what exactly I was seeing in you and your siblings either. I think today I do."

"Colonel, I…" Max tried to interrupt him but he cut her off.

"Max, you don't speak when a superior is speaking to you" he reminded her but despite his words there was none of that sharp command tone he usually used. With the hint of a smile he added: "I'm pretty sure I taught you that during basic."

"Yes, Colonel" she agreed and grinned a little bit sheepishly. "You did. Sorry."

"It's alright. You see, Max, I never had children of my own, so I don't know how an ordinary father should feel and act." Max could hear how he was searching for the right words and how difficult it was for him to speak about this particular topic at all. "But I do know that when I look at you, or Kyla, or Havoc – at any of you – I feel like you really are my sons and daughters. I'm not sure if I even have the right to do so after what we did to you when you were children but that's just the way it is. It's twisted and strange and most certainly also false but I can't help it. I know I will keep sending you out on missions, just because I have to and because you still are soldiers, but I will also do what I can to protect you even if it means my own demise."

"Colonel, I…" Max started but trailed off, his words shaking her to the core. She breathed deeply and began again. "When I said in that letter that I thought it would be a good thing to have somebody we could call our father I never had the picture of a happy family with a dog and the white fence in my mind. In my mind I saw somebody I could trust with my life, somebody who would protect us if necessary and who understands us. I know what we are, Colonel, and I know what you have to do. I never wanted you to change your behavior towards us or to treat us differently; we are soldiers. As I said before, in my memories of my childhood and during the years you were hunting me after the escape I hated you. I saw the cruel and determined officer who didn't think about anything else but his mission and I haven't forgotten those days, but I understand it better now. I had to learn the hard way that what you were teaching us has saved my life, both before and after my recapture. I saw how you cared about us. Perhaps not in a way and ordinary father would care about his children but we aren't ordinary children. I could see and feel you treated us with respect and loyalty, you chose to protect us when you didn't have to and you understand our problems and fears."

She stopped and he continued to listen to her closely.

"I don't know if you are caring about us like a father would usually care about his children because I never had one" she continued. "But I know that if I could choose one, it would be you, Colonel."

Hearing this Lydecker gritted his teeth and swallowed, pressing his lips together. Max was looking at him, not sure if she had found the right words to explain what she was feeling. Slowly a smile – both sad and happy at the same time – appeared on the old man's face and he slowly reached out for her, pulling into a gentle hug. Max closed her eyes and returned the gesture, a happy and relieved expression on her own face. They didn't speak, even after they'd let go of each other they just kept looking at each other and somehow Max couldn't help but feel that this way they were able to tell each other much better what they were meaning, what they wanted to say but didn't find the right words to do so. Finally, they both chuckled at the same moment, feeling a little bit embarrassed by the weirdness of the situation.

At silent nod of Lydecker they both continued on their way to their quarters, not saying a word anymore but feeling strangely at ease. Max knew there was still a long road ahead of them but apparently she had said the right words and he didn't hold her feelings against her.

When they approached her unit's rec room he suddenly spoke up again.

"I need to talk to Kyla about this, too." Max glanced at him and nodded. Yes, she had heard her older sister in that hotel, too. "If you can, don't talk to the others about this. I feel about them like I feel about you, but they need to find out for themselves what they want, alright?"

"Absolutely" Max agreed. She had been thinking the same thing before already. "Colonel? Thank you for hearing me out."

"Thank you for being so honest with me, Max" he smiled. "I will see you later. Get some sleep as well."

"Will do. Good night, sir!"

Lydecker departed and Max entered the rec room, feeling more relieved than she had in weeks. A silent smile remained on her face as she got herself something to drink from the small fridge.

"What are you smiling at?" Alec wanted to know. He'd had a brief talk with Meyer and was now lying on one of the old couches while Havoc and Nova – who'd apparently already gotten back from the infirmary – occupied the other. The rest of her unit was apparently in the showers or already in their respective quarters.

"Nothing, just a little talk with the Colonel" she replied and sat down next to Alec. He quirked an eyebrow and gave her a smirk.

"A little talk, hm?" he asked suggestively. "Something I should know about?"

"How come you think it's any of your business?" Max retorted in the same tone.

"I'm pretty sure there needs something to be done in my quarters" Havoc suddenly spoke up a little bit hastily. "Don't you think so, Nova?"

"Absolutely!" the blond X5 agreed and the two of them got up and left the room, closing the door behind them but not before the female medic gave them a last and clearly amused glance.

"What was that about?" Alec asked looking at the door a little bit confused. Before Max arrived the two of them had seemed rather comfortable.

"How should I know?" Max sighed and emptied her glass before grimacing. Orange juice, not really what she needed right now! She briefly glanced at Alec and suddenly didn't feel that comfortable anymore. Lately she always felt tense when she was alone with him. No, scratch that, she was always tense when he was around, never mind how many other people were there was well. Fortunately he didn't seem to notice and just shrugged and after that they remained quiet for a few minutes before Max suddenly remembered something. "I wanted to say thanks for what you did outside the infirmary."

"You're welcome" he replied shortly but suddenly his cocky trademark grin found its way back on his face again. "You didn't answer my question, though."

"Yeah, right. Like that's ever gonna happen!" she snorted.

"Come on, it's not a difficult question, is it? A simple yes or no."

"Alec, just shut up or you're gonna lose more of your brain cells!"

"Nah, Jondy's not here and you are not fast enough" he simply replied smirking and so matter-of-factly she couldn't help herself and lashed out, intending to smack him like she and Jondy used to do when he just wouldn't shut up. However, although still lying on his back, Alec managed to catch her by the wrist and blocked her friendly attack. Max on the other hand was so surprised by his swift reaction she lost her balance and with a surprised yelp landed on top of him.

Time seemed to freeze.

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, surprise and astonishment all too evident in both of their eyes. Their faces were only inches apart and Max could feel the warmth of his upper body against hers through the fabric of her shirt. She just couldn't bring herself to look away from his amazing green eyes and suddenly realized that they had never been so close to each other before, not even when they were sparring. She could feel his every move, his heartbeat against her chest and sensed how his body tensed up even more but not in anticipation of another attack but something else and – Gods! – since when did Alec smell so…interesting? Without noticing she brought her hand up to his cheek.

"Max?" Alec felt really strange, too, and having her so close didn't help much. Not. At. All. Damned, did she just start to purr?

His voice broke the spell. For a split second Max seemed to stare at him in confusion before she suddenly jerked back and stood up as fast as she could, retreating from him a few steps. Slowly Alec sat up without ever breaking eye contact, feeling just as puzzled.

"What did just happen?" he wanted to know.

"I…I don't know" she admitted hesitantly, looking at him almost timidly like she expected him to be mad at her.

"Are you in Heat?"

"No, not for another few weeks" she informed him briefly, gaining a little bit more confidence again. She turned towards the door. "Gotta blaze."

"Hey, wait a second!" He jumped up and blocked her way.

"Alec, let me get out!" she growled but sounded less sure again.

"Not before we talked about this!" he replied with determination.

"Alec, please!" Great, there went her self-confidence. He reached out for her and she involuntarily took a step back which caused him to look at her even more surprised.

"Max, I'm not gonna hurt you! What's going on?"

"I know you won't. It's just…it's difficult, okay?" When he reached out again and held her by her shoulders she invisibly shuddered when his touch sent shivers down her spine. What the hell was going on with her? So okay, she liked him sometimes but that was no reason to behave like a lovesick schoolgirl!

"We have time" he offered. "Explain it to me."

"No!" she snapped and tried to get past him again, more forcefully this time, but it seemed like his patience was finally worn out. He grabbed her and pressed her against the wall, making an escape impossible. He wasn't using all his strength – Max knew – or his actions would've hurt her but it was clear he wasn't going to accept a 'No' that easily. She glared at him in sudden anger.

"What the hell do you think…?" she hissed but stopped and froze when a threatening growl escaped from somewhere deep in his chest. He just starred at her, his eyes darker.

"Alec" she whispered, unsure of what to do. She knew he would never hurt her but she had never seen him like this. "What are you doing?"

"What is going on, Max?" he demanded to know, his voice deep and husky. "Why are you trying to avoid me?"

"I'm not avoiding you!" she objected but at the same time wasn't able to avert his gaze. He was so close again, his scent was all around her, making it impossible to think. He growled again and leaned in even closer.

"Max" he whispered hoarsely and she could feel his hot breath against her ear and neck and she shuddered. When he looked her in the eye again something within her snapped. Her hesitation and incertitude was still there but it was like her human conscious and doubts were gone and her feral side took over. It wasn't Heat but something else, something she had never experienced before but it didn't frighten her. Everything just felt so _right_. She didn't really think anymore, instead she brought her hands up until she could feel the hard muscles of his chest beneath her fingers. Her pupils were dilated, her breathing quickened and she relaxed under his intense stare, feeling herself drawn towards those intense green eyes. They were so close to each other now their lips almost touched.

"Alec…" she whispered barely audible but this time it didn't sound uncertain anymore but more like a plea and a question at the same time. She closed her eyes, her doubts gone and when he kissed her ever so gently her reality ceased to exist.

* * *

A few minutes later Jace and Brin were approaching the rec room and looked surprised at Havoc and Nova who were sitting on the floor close to the door.

"You don't want to go in there right now" Nova informed them, a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Why not?" Brin wanted to know. "The Colonel having a private party or what?"

"Nope, but you're close" Havoc smirked. The two newcomers frowned but then it dawned on them.

"Who?" Jace asked.

"Take a guess.

"Let's see" Brin began. "It's obviously not the two of you and Wolf and Kyla are out of the question for now as well."

"It can't be Ares and Blade either" Jace added. "He's still standing guard in the infirmary."

"That's correct" Nova grinned, enjoying the confused look on her sisters' faces.

"Then who?" Brin sounded more and more helpless.

"Who's left?" Havoc suggestively quirked an eyebrow.

Suddenly Jace began to grin as well and finally started to laugh. Brin looked at her, clearly somewhat infuriated that she was the only one who apparently didn't have a clue what was going on. She watched Jace for about ten seconds until she snapped: "Well, are you going to fill me in or what?"

"Think, Brin…who…who's left?" Jace asked, gasping for air and still unable to stop laughing. Brin frowned and mentally went through every name in her unit and suddenly she turned towards Havoc and Nova again, eyes wide with disbelief.

"No!" she stated firmly but the two just nodded and now the Asian X5 started to grin as well. "Do they know you know about it?"

They shook their heads and Brin's grin grew wider. "My little baby-sister and Mister 'I'm-always-perfect'. Oh, this is great! We're gonna have so much fun!"

* * *

Several hours later Max woke up, feeling unusually calm and comfortable. She was lying on the couch in the rec room and for a moment she was confused. Until she felt somebody's arm around her waist and a strong and warm body pressed against her back. That was also when she realized that she was naked and the only thing covering her body was a very thin blanket – she had no idea where it came from.

Alec, she thought with sudden uncertainty as the memories of what had happened between them came back to her mind. She moved carefully until she could look at his face. He was still asleep and there was a serene expression on his face. She tried to get up without waking him but out of instinct his grip suddenly tightened and he opened his eyes, looking around sleepily until his gaze came to rest on her. Max mentally cursed herself for not being able to slip away without him noticing. They would have to talk about it, she knew, but she just wasn't ready for this right now. She still didn't know what she saw in this cocky, egocentric and braggy, yet also extremely loyal and brave young man. What he'd done to her – what they'd been sharing – had been beautiful, intense and also very pleasurable in a way she'd never experienced before, she had to admit that, but her incertitude of what exactly she was feeling towards him was making her anxious.

Why the hell did something so complicated have to feel so good and so utterly right?

"Max?" he asked, his voice still a little bit heavy with sleep. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to get out" she admitted truthfully, cringing at the surprised and also a little bit hurt look that answer got her.

"That's odd" he said, frowning. But then he grinned again. "Well, you're not going anywhere, I'm quite comfortable with our situation as it is."

He moved to kiss her but she held him back.

"Alec, please don't." He stopped, a confused look on his face.

"What is it? Did I hurt you or something?"

"No, you didn't, don't worry" she assured him. There was the caring Alec again, the one who would try to talk to her and comfort her when she was upset. "I just…I don't really know what this is about."

"Well, I hope I don't have to explain the thing with males and females getting together, right?" And there was that cocky bastard again who annoyed her and who – for some reason she could not explain – still had found his way into her heart. Nevertheless she scowled and hit him on the shoulder for that stupid comment.

"Be serious, just for a minute, okay?" she demanded sternly. "I'm…I'm confused, Alec, and I need to think."

"About what?"

"About this. About us. I really like you, Alec, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for this. It almost destroyed Kyla. I just want to be sure."

He looked at her for a very long moment until to her surprise he smiled sadly and sighed. "Okay, I understand. Take your time but just promise me you won't run away from this, Maxie. I will not be far."

"Thanks, Alec, and I will not run from this. I just thought you would be…" she began but trailed off and bit her lower lip.

"What? Angry?" She shrugged and nodded at the same time which made him grin for some reason. "I'm not that bad, Maxie, after all you ended up with me, didn't you?"

She couldn't help but laugh at this twisted but just so very Alec-like logic. She became serious again and eyed him with a soft light in her eyes. Without a word she then started to get dressed. She didn't really want to get away from him, it was rather the opposite. But she needed to find the right questions and answers first. Somehow this seemed stupid but she just knew that if she didn't make this right after their first heated night together they would break apart again. Before she left however she turned towards him again and found him looking at her with a slight and contend grin.

She bent down and gave him a quick and light kiss on the lips and then was out of the rec room before he could even try to hold her back again.

Alec sighed deeply and stood up after a few minutes as well, got dressed and left.

"Busy night?" he was greeted once outside the room.

"What are you doing here, Blade?" he grumbled, not in the mood for another talk. He somehow could understand Max's reaction but that didn't mean it didn't frustrate him.

"Just checking on the two of you." Her voice left very little to his imagination. Great!

"Perfect!" he growled. "Does everybody know already?"

"I guess so. You weren't very discreet, after all." Blade was not at all disturbed by his rudeness and started walking at his side.

"Leave me alone, I'm not in the mood for your games right now."

"I don't care." At his warning growl following her statement the Asian X5 only gave him a slight smirk. "Stop threatening me already, Alec, you know you can't take me."

"What do you want?"

"Max looked a little bit confused when she left. I don't think she even noticed I was standing there. I guess she told you she needed some time for herself, right?"

"This is none of your business, Blade" he hissed angrily, trying to hide his surprise. "Leave it!"

"It is my business" she stated calmly, "and you will hear me out or I will make you, temporary CO or not. Max is my friend and my sister, Alec, has been from the very first day I met her, and I will not allow you to do anything that is against her wishes."

"What are you suggesting?" he gasped, his shock at her words even worse than his anger. "I would NEVER…!"

"I know, Alec" she interrupted him, realizing he'd misunderstood her. "That's not what I meant. I know you would never hurt her, not intentionally and certainly not like that. Come on, even a blind fool could see the two of you are head over heels in love. But I'm afraid you don't see why she's so reluctant to accept her feelings."

She sighed and for a few seconds Alec could see the worry in her eyes before she faced him again.

"She's been outside for so long, Alec. There are still many things about her nature – our nature – she doesn't know or understand yet. When I first experienced this with Ares I was astonished and also scared of how much my feral side took over before I began to understand and accept it. We have known the effects of our feline DNA for much longer than Max has and I suppose this is frightening her because I'm sure she never experienced something like that outside. It it's just not possible with an ordinary. Look, I'm not here because I think you and her being together is a bad idea – quite the opposite – but because I'd like to help you understand. I'm your friend, too, Alec. You just need to understand how confusing this can be for a female, alright?"

He eyed her attentively, his anger gone and replaced with a weird curiousness.

"How do you know all this? You turned psychic over night or what?"

"No, but I can read people. It's an important skill if your job is to stop human beings from breathing. I'm just asking you to take it slow and to understand that Max has a lot to deal with right now."

"I see" he finally said much more friendly than before. "It's not that I don't want to give her time if she needs it, it's just all so damned complicated with you women sometimes!"

"As if your species would be any better!" Blade retorted immediately and was relieved to see a hint of a smile tucking at his lips. "Now come on, you need to eat something. I know I was starving after Ares and I have been…"

"Stop right there!" he cut her off with an almost shocked expression. "That's a mental image I definitely don't need."

"Why? Perhaps you could learn something?"

"Yeah, right!" he laughed and after a few seconds she joined him. They needed about half a minute to calm down after that.

"Gods" Alec gasped. "Thanks, Blade, I needed that!"

"You're welcome" she replied, glad he seemed to be a little bit happier. "We've all been waiting for you two to finally get through your thick and stubborn skulls that you're meant for each other so yes, Alec, I'm happy for both of you. Just take it easy and keep me posted and you'll see this night will not be the end but the beginning."

Before Alec could answer to that Nova suddenly appeared around the corner, out of breath.

"He's waking up!" she gasped.

Not even a full Alliance TAC team would have been able to stop the three transgenics after that while they blurred to the infirmary.

* * *

_Fortress Delta, 36 hours later_

"…Manticore black ops are mainly used to guard the perimeter along with some of the X7 units. A detachment of about three dozen enhanced Alliance soldiers are stationed in one of the old barracks in sector C. They're not integrated in the daily routines but are always ready to repel an attack. Perhaps Renfro is also using them as her personal escort after your last attack." Wolf's voice was cold and concentrated as he revealed to his superiors and fellow transgenics what he knew. "Other than that I don't think there have been any major changes. That's all I know, sir.

Lydecker observed his soldier silently. He was rigidly standing in the middle of the room and although the dark circles below his eyes were a clear indicator of his tiredness and exhaustion he didn't show a sign of weakness. His eyes just like his voice were void of any emotion and hadn't he known better he would've thought the X5 he had known since the day of his birth was back. But that wasn't true.

"That's an awful lot of information" Colonel Meyer spoke up. He was – just like several other members of his command staff including Ares a part of this hearing where they intended to find out if Wolf was really back or if Renfro's brainwashing was still intact. The rest of unit two along with several Delta platoon leaders were sitting in the back of the room listening attentively to what the X5 had to say. "How did you get that much intel, soldier?"

"I was Renfro's pet, Colonel." For the first time since this meeting began about an hour ago Wolf didn't sound deadhearted and surprisingly it wasn't anger or rage they detected in his voice; it was disgust and self-hatred. "After my reindoctrination she was sure I would do whatever she asked me to do. She didn't even try to keep her involvement with the Alliance a secret but of course forbid me to talk about it to anybody. I would have said anything and done anything she told me to."

"I see" Meyer murmured more to himself and glanced at his papers before looking at the young X5 again. "Very well. I know what you've been going through hasn't been pleasant at all and I wish I could say I trusted you, but that is not the case. Tomorrow you're gonna be tested one last time, after that we will be sure if you are really on our side again or just keeping up a façade. Tonight you are allowed to return to your old quarters. There will be guards stationed outside that room and if you should try to leave your quarters without my personal permission and an escort you will be shot on sight, am I clear, soldier?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Dismissed!"

Wolf saluted sharply and left with the four Delta transgenics who would guard him for the time being. Kyla followed them quickly and one after the other the rest of the X5s and Deltas left until there were only Meyer and Lydecker left.

"Is that really necessary, Chris?" the former commander of Manticore wanted to know. "He's been through enough."

"I wish I could agree with you, Deck." Meyer sighed and started massaging his temples. "But you know you wouldn't act differently if this was your base. The body scans indicate no nanites in his body anymore and since he's woken up he seems to heal normally. In a few days he'll be back to his usual self, physically at least. But we do not know. We just can't be sure if he's really back or if that's just a shell of the X5 you once knew, looking for a way to get back to that witch Renfro."

"And what do you want to do to find out?"

"Like I said, we're gonna test him. Don't even ask, you're gonna find out soon enough. Now, how's that hard drive thing going?"

"Jondy has reported that all the files have been decoded. She and Cale are organizing the information together with some of your tech guys as we speak. They will be ready tomorrow morning."

"Good. Meet me in Command in two hours."

Lydecker nodded briskly and turned towards the door when his friend's voice held him back.

"Deck?" Meyer gave his friend a long and earnest look. "I hope he will be okay. I really do. But sometimes after having done everything in our might as comrades we have to do our duty as soldiers."

When they arrived at his old quarters the Delta soldiers stopped, watching Wolf closely as he slowly approached the door. They didn't speak for which he was grateful and didn't seem to mind that it took him almost an eternity to finally bring himself to open the door. Perhaps they could feel how difficult this was for him and or perhaps they were just following orders. He didn't care. Slowly he entered what had been his home for some time, an eternity ago and in another life. Everything looked just like he remembered. The room was tidy and clean, the two lockers closed and although he could detect that Kyla had continued to live here ever since he'd been taken away it was like he'd never left.

Behind him the door was closed and he spun around only to see Kyla who was watching him calmly. Even in the dim light he could clearly see her and he was somehow relieved there was no pity in her eyes. He'd gotten enough of that from the others already and he didn't need any more of it.

He didn't deserve it. Cottles assumption had been right; he remembered everything.

"I left everything as it was" she said quietly. "If you want to take shower first I tell the guards."

He just shook his head and turned away, unable to bear her gentle eyes anymore.

"Then you should get some sleep. You're still exhausted and your body needs to recover."

He didn't move like he didn't know what to do so after a few seconds of waiting she carefully stepped closer to him. When she touched him in order to help him out of his uniform he jerked away like he'd been burned and gave her a shocked look. Kyla froze but wasn't surprised. That had to be expected. Gods, he looked so lost!

"You need to sleep and you're not gonna do it in your clothes!" she stated firmly but friendly.

Finally he gave her a brisk nod, but did not look in her eyes, before turning away. He took off his jacket, boots, socks and BDUs. Then he just stood before his bed, hesitating. Back at Manticore sleeping had always been a bad idea. The PsyOps guards liked to come to him while he was asleep, dragging him to reindoctrination again. He'd started to reduce his sleeping hours to an absolute minimum. Before he could reach a decision a slender but strong hand gripped him by the shoulder. He tried to get out of Kyla's grasp again but her voice held him back.

"Shhh, it's okay." Her voice was understanding but not pitying. "I know you are afraid but nobody's gonna attack you here. You are safe."

Slowly and gently her hands guided him towards the bed. When he was lying on the mattress she covered him with the grey blanket. He couldn't help but stare at her, feeling guilty and ashamed all over again. Why the hell did he have to be so weak?

When she noticed his stare she gave him an inquiring look and he averted his eyes quickly and turned away. But not before he did she caught his expression of desperation and some sort of broken-hearted longing.

The black-haired woman was barely able to suppress a sigh.

"If you need anything, just tell me" she whispered but didn't get an answer. Not that she had expected any.

She stripped down to her shirt and pants and lay down herself but never took her eyes of him. He was lying there motionlessly, his back towards her.

Her thoughts travelled back to that moment in the infirmary when he'd woken up. At first his gaze had been unfocused and he had been confused. Then he seemed to recognize the infirmary of Fortress Delta and finally his eyes had found hers. She had almost broken down in there when she had finally seen him again. Not a mindless drone, not Renfro's killer but him! Her partner, her lover, her mate! Meyer could order as many tests as he wanted to; she knew it was Wolf staring back at her. After the first wave of near-hysteria and overflowing joy had faded away she started to understand that he was still a long way from his old self. She could see the self-doubt, the self-hatred and disgust and she understood it all too well. He had always been very proud and never allowed himself to think of failure as an option. In her eyes he hadn't failed; nobody was able to withstand torture indefinitely and they all knew Renfro was an expert when it came to that. But he was thinking that way and that would be the first thing she had to change. That was why she didn't treat him with pity but sympathy, trying to show him she understood and was there if he needed somebody to rely on. He would find his way back, she was sure of it, but he needed time and she was determined to stay at his side for however long she had to.

After about thirty minutes his calmer and shallow breathing told her he had fallen asleep already and she allowed herself a tiny smile, realizing how tired he must have been. Usually he would never allow himself to drift off in his situation but she wasn't about to complain. About a minute later that smile vanished immediately when she saw how his whole body tensed and he curled up into a fetal position. She was on her feet and at his side in a second but didn't dare to touch him yet. When she saw what was going on she cringed inwardly. He was trembling and behind closed eyelids she could see his eyes moving rapidly. His hands were closed into fists and his face twisted in imagined pain. Whispering a silent prayer she knelt down onto the cold floor, reached out and took one of his hands into hers, experiencing the strange feeling of a flashback. He continued to rock back and forth but she didn't dare to try and wake him up out of fear he would only be more shocked and lash out at her.

After endless minutes he started to calm down slowly. First the trembling became less and died away, then his muscles relaxed and finally he opened his eyes but not sleepily this time but fully alert. His gaze found hers almost immediately and this time he didn't turn away. She knew he'd been dreaming about being back in PsyOps and like all those years ago his pain and despair broke her heart. She felt her own eyes fill with tears.

"Wolf!" she chocked. "Relax. I'm here. I'm here."

They didn't speak a word after that but remained in their respective position for a long time until she could see he had calmed down – at least as far as his current condition allowed him to. She gave him a small encouraging nod and tried to stand up but stopped when he didn't let go of her. Curiously she looked at him and could clearly see his silent plea. For a second she hesitated, not sure if it was a good idea but then nodded. He moved, making enough room to allow her to lie down behind him but never let go of her hand.

Cautiously she nestled up against him and he shivered when he felt her breasts pressing against his back. Much to her surprise he didn't try to move away so she got a little bit bolder and wrapped one arm around his upper body. For a long time they were just lying there like that and Kyla enjoyed – really enjoyed – the closeness and breathed in his scent. How she had missed him!

"Thank you" he suddenly whispered barely audible, the first words he had said to her since he'd woken up.

"Always" she replied just as quietly. After a long time she asked: "Do you want to talk?"

"No, I don't" he said with bitterness. "But I have to."

And so he started to tell her about everything he had experienced, starting from that cursed night when he stayed behind near Strasbourg, about how Renfro had greeted him in Manticore's medical wing, the new reindoctrination procedure and the missions he had executed as Renfro's spawn. He talked for nearly two hours with a blank voice that expressed his feelings better than any anger, frustration or yelling could have. Kyla remained still, holding him close and listened attentively. When he had finished there was another long silence between the two of them.

"How can you do this?" he finally wanted to know.

"What do you mean?"

"This. Being with me in the same room. Helping me…holding me."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"I tried to kill you. I really – I mean really – wanted to kill you in that forest. How can you…?" his voice broke.

"Shhh" she whispered against his neck. "In the end you didn't and it wasn't you. What I saw out there wasn't you, Wolf, and it wasn't 451 either. It was something else. I don't know what it was but I know it's gone now."

"How? How can you be so sure?"

"Because I love you."

Hearing this his mind went blank. He gritted his teeth but couldn't hold back anymore. Although Kyla couldn't see his face she could smell his tears.

"It's okay" she whispered, kissing his barcode and burying her face in his neck. "Just let go. Let go, Wolf, let go."

And he did. Weeks and months of torture, guilt over having failed his siblings and the shame and fear of his own weakness found their way to the surface, washing away all his self-control like a flood wave. He uncontrollably sobbed in the arms of his mate like he had never before in his life while Kyla held him as close as she could, whispering soothing words of love and comfort into his ear. When he had no tears anymore his body mercifully allowed him to fall asleep out of sheer exhaustion. Kyla never let go off him and vowed to herself to never abandon him again for as long as she would live.

* * *

**I think the only special expression I used is this one:**

**Wilco = Will comply**

**Okay, that's it for now. As I said the last part wasn't pretty but I can very well imagine even an experienced soldier could react that way in such a situation.**

**I hope I got the other parts right. If you don't think so, please tell me, I always appreciate constructive criticism!**

**Now, as I said. The next chapter will be about the Alliance and their plans and the first stages of planning the final battle. And Wolf will be 'tested' a final time. Don't hate me, it's not that I like having him suffer.**

**Anyway, please tell me what you think.**


	22. Claiming

**Five weeks? Damned! That was definitely not the rhythm I was planning to keep. I honestly can't even say why there was this huge delay for once. Terribly sorry! I just hope you're still out there!**

**452max:** Okay, you're gonna find out about the Alliance but you'll have to wait for another chapter for more M/A. Don't worry, I won't forget them. Thanks a lot!

**nattylovesu:** Glad you liked it. I really wasn't sure about it at first but I think it was necessary. Thanks to you, too.

**Jasper's Imaginary Friend:** Thanks to you, too. As I said, I think it was necessary and I had him being hardass for (almost too) long. It was time for some change.

**Taeniaea:** Thanks again!

**Divine Fighter:** Glad you liked that scene. Was one of the most difficult ones to write for me. I mean; how do you write Lydecker discussing family matters? That was just plain weird in the beginning. Anyway, thanks a lot to you, too.

**Well, I certainly hope some of you are still out there!**

* * *

The next morning Wolf woke up after a deep sleep, the first one not disturbed by nightmares since he'd been taken away. He could still feel Kyla's body against his back and her arms around him and realized she hadn't moved during the whole night. And she was still holding him like she was afraid he would just slip away and disappear if she let go and she was purring. Ever so softly and barely audible but he could hear it. For a second he was confused until he remembered something he had read a few years ago; cats didn't only purr when they were happy but sometimes also when they or somebody close to them were hurt or injured. Science still didn't know what caused that but it was a fact. He sighed and shifted uneasily. He was still feeling out of place and knew what he had experienced would haunt him for the rest of his life but he also knew if Kyla was able to trust him maybe he would be able to do so again himself one day.

She stirred and woke up but they remained in their current position for a few more minutes before she reluctantly got up. He followed her example after a few seconds.

"We have to report to the infirmary" she informed him quietly and he just nodded; he hadn't forgotten about that last test Meyer had been talking about. They dressed in silence and were good to go in a matter of minutes but before she opened the door she stepped in front of him and laid a hand on his chest. They didn't talk but just looked at each other, his grey eyes never leaving her emerald-green ones but there were no words needed. He could see her sorrow, but also her faith and most of all her pride and love. She trusted and understood him in a way nobody else could and for whatever reason he couldn't help but feel much better just standing there. He didn't even feel bad or ashamed for his breakdown the evening before; she had seen him when he had been weaker than ever before but he didn't care because she understood that it just had to happen, that he needed somebody to be with him and give him a sense of safety when he broke down. It was done and it had helped.

Finally she gave him a small smile which he returned before she opened the door.

Outside they were greeted by the four Delta soldiers who had escorted him the other day but there was also Ares waiting for them. He nodded at both of them and noticed with satisfaction that Wolf was looking more confident and proud than before but didn't comment on it; that was none of his business.

They marched through the mostly empty corridors but didn't go to the infirmary. Instead their escort brought them to one of the surface elevators and Kyla glanced at Ares with a frown.

"We're going to one of the older sections of Fortress Delta" the Swiss transgenic informed them casually when they entered the elevator. "It has been specifically prepared for what we need."

"And what exactly do we need?" Kyla demanded to know sternly. They were going up and as far as she knew the upper levels were only occupied with the units who were on guard duty and some of the Echo generation transgenics who had been brought to the fortress after the attack on their original base. And of course the defensive fortifications.

"I'm a soldier, not a scientist" Ares shrugged. She opened her mouth for a sharp reply but held back when Wolf squeezed her hand. She looked at him and frowned, feeling uneasy and worried but when she saw his expression she grudgingly nodded. Not that the five Deltas would let her a choice anyway, but she didn't like this.

The rest of their short journey was spent in silence until they arrived at a small room which had been equipped with everything that would remind her of PsyOps, except for the two scientists who were expecting them with calm but not excited or even evil expressions.

"Doctor Lehmann" Ares spoke up. "Das esch X5-451. Der chöit gemäss Befähl fortfahre." _(Doctor Lehmann, this is X5-451. You can proceed as ordered.)_

The older of the two scientists just nodded and waved Wolf over towards the examination table. The male X5 gave Kyla a last reassuring nod and small smile before he left her side. With every step he took she wanted nothing more than to reach out and grab him – had he not suffered enough already? – but she controlled her emotions, which didn't mean she couldn't shoot daggers at the two doctors and Ares who was watching her attentively. One of the white-coated men said something and the Swiss transgenics nodded and turned towards the door.

"We have to go, Kyla" Ares informed her. "Nobody is allowed in here while they are working."

She knew it was a futile and immature gesture but she nevertheless quietly barred her teeth at him which only made him shrug and point at the door. She glanced one last time at Wolf, knowing she was fighting a losing battle, then turned around on her heel and was out of the room in a second. The Delta soldier just sighed and shook his head before he followed her. If she was already in that mood now she would most likely try and bite his head off for what he had to tell her.

Wolf noticed the departure of his mate with mixed feelings. On one hand he knew she had to go but on the other he suddenly felt alone again and grew more nervous. The two men didn't seem to notice.

"Alright, 451" one of them began without looking up from his clipboard. His English was good but compared to the Deltas he had a heavy accent. "As you have heard my name is Doctor Lehmann and this is my assistant, Doctor Fahrer. First of all: Do you know why you are here and would you prefer me to call you by your designation or your name?"

"I know and I would prefer my name, sir."

"Very well, Wolf it is then. Well, I've been informed about what has happened to you and I can assure you I despise those who did this to you probably just as badly as you do. What we're gonna do today has nothing to do with inflicting pain or anything the like." To Wolf's surprise there was actually disgust in the older man's voice. "We're trying to determine whether you're just playing a game or acting genuinely. I need you to take off your jacket and shirt and lie down on the examination table, please. Before we start I will explain everything to you."

Wolf did as he was told but couldn't help but curse silently when his bare back met the cold steel of the table. Lehmann approached him again and showed him a syringe filled with a clear liquid.

"We will do a full body scan while stimulating your brain. I assure you it's completely safe and painless. What I have in this syringe is a mixture of stimulants along with a few medications which will help you to relax. Once injected with it you will experience dizziness, your vision might blur from time to time and your transgenic senses will not work as sharply as usual. When this happens, do not panic! You've ever been drunk?"

A little bit surprised by the question Wolf nodded. "Once, on a mission in Kiev."

"Good. It's pretty much the same feeling, although without the hangover. We will monitor your vital functions and we can abort at any time." Lehmann gave him some seconds to fully understand what he was talking about, his calm and professional eyes never leaving the young transgenic. "Now, I have been told what your PsyOps is doing to people and I can also see its…results."

The old scientist briefly touched his left wrist where the scars from the restraints and the fading marks from his own teeth still could be seen. Wolf jerked his arm away but otherwise didn't move. Lehmann just nodded with understanding in his eyes.

"I'm not here to judge you" he said with sudden anger in his voice, "but the people who did this. We will absolutely not do anything the like but you know how strong a transgenic is, so for our and your own safety we will have to restrain you. Don't worry, it really is only for security reasons. If you want your fellow X5 in this room I think I could make an exception."

Wolf thought about it for a second and almost said yes but finally shook his head; he didn't want Kyla in there, this was something he had to go through himself. Lehmann nodded and gave his assistant a small signal. Slowly and carefully the two men secured his arms and legs to the table. They were working methodically and concentrated but nevertheless made sure to cause him as less discomfort as possible. Still, once the restraints were finally in place the young X5 couldn't help but remembering the PsyOps in Manticore. There as well he had been in this position, helpless, defenseless. Again Lehmann seemed to notice; apparently the man had been working with transgenics for a long time.

"Relax, Wolf. I promise you we're gonna make this as quick as we can. Are you ready?"

"Not really" the transgenic answered and his voice trembled. "But I don't think we have all day, right Doc?"

The slightly younger Doctor Fahrer chuckled at hearing this weird mixture of hesitation and determination and also Lehmann couldn't hold back a small smile.

"Unfortunately we don't. So let's get it over with and then you can go back to your unit."

Wolf just nodded but when the scientist approached him with the syringe again he couldn't help but grit his teeth. The closer he came the more nervous he became until his whole body was tense. This must have been what Max felt like the night that nurse had surprised her with a needle. Lehmann didn't seem to care and gave him the injection with a concentrated look on his face. It felt like ice water started flowing through his veins. It wasn't comfortable, but not painful either.

"We need to wait a few minutes until the medication has spread through your whole body" Lehmann informed him while Fahrer adjusted some sort of scanner next to the bed. After that they waited mostly in silence, the two Doctors watching their scanners and laptop screens. Finally Lehmann came to his side again.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired" was Wolf's slightly slurred answer.

"Alright, that has to be expected, but I need you to stay awake, okay? Now, follow my finger with your eyes."

He tried and mostly it went quite well but from time to time, just like he'd been told, his vision blurred. He told this to the scientist who just nodded.

"That's normal, don't worry. Now please turn your head from left to right two times." Wolf did as he was told but suddenly closed his eyes and groaned. "Dizzy?"

"Yeah, 'n' I feel like throwin' up."

"Good, that means the medication is fully spread."

"You've a weird way of encouragin' people, Doc."

"So I've been told" Lehmann murmured and looked at Fahrer. "Okay, we're ready. Let's begin with the first scan."

Fahrer nodded and approached the examination table but suddenly stopped and turned towards the door when they heard gunfire. Lehmann cursed under his breath and approached the door when one of the Delta soldiers who had been in Wolf's escort stormed in the room. He was panting and shouted something Wolf didn't understand but in the following brief discussion between the Delta and Lehmann he could make out the words for 'attack' and 'retreat'.

"What's going on?" he wanted to know.

"We're under attack!" the other transgenic approached the table and hastily undid the restraints and helped him sit up. "We're ordered to fall back."

"Attacked? By whom?" Wolf put on his jacket and cursed himself for being so slow. Lehmann had been right, this really felt like being slightly drunk.

"Who do you think? They caught us by surprise, we have to move fast. Come on!"

The X5 stumbled to his feet and followed the Delta out of the room along with the two doctors. Outside the other three Swiss transgenics who had brought him here earlier were waiting for them, weapons in their hands and securing the corridor as good as they could. Ares wasn't with them anymore.

"We've been ordered to escort you to the lower levels" the leader of the small group – Delta-87, call sign Markus – informed them. Like so many times before Wolf was glad the Swiss transgenics almost automatically switched from their native language to English whenever an X-soldier or one of the American operators was listening. He had learned much of this country's language but was still grateful for their efforts. "We have to…"

"Contact!" one of his comrades shouted and out of instinct they all ducked while the soldiers turned towards the new threat.

But it wasn't a threat. Blade, Artemis and Kyla stopped briefly and held up their hands but then approached quickly when the Swiss transgenics relaxed. And they were not alone. Behind them three boys and a girl, all about fourteen years old, followed.

Echo transgenics, Wolf realized. He had heard that they'd been brought here after the Alliance had attacked their training facility.

"X5-301, 194 and 439" Kyla reported and gave him a brief glance and for a split second there was a hint of a smile on her face but it vanished immediately. "What the hell's going on?"

"An Alliance attack force penetrated our perimeter" Delta-87 informed her and winced when they heard more gunfire from where the three Manticore soldiers had come from, much closer this time. "But I think you already got that. The Colonel ordered us to evacuate the scientists and 451. Did you see anybody else?"

"Nobody alive" Blade growled. "We were on our way to the shooting range when we heard the them and came right here. We're not really equipped to deal with a strike force."

Wolf eyed her and realized the Asian X5 was absolutely right. His three siblings only had handguns with them and wore no sort of tactical vest or any other equipment, least of all a radio.

"Great. What about the other Echos?"

"Didn't find any besides those four." Artemis flinched when an explosion could be heard. "Listen, I know there are probably still many of them somewhere around here but we can't help them right now. What about a counterattack?"

"Several units have already been deployed" Markus said grimly. "ETA is six minutes."

"We don't have that long" Kyla reminded him. "We have to get out of here!"

"You're right." The Delta soldier looked pained but knew staying there wasn't an option, not with two scientists, four Echos and a partly drugged X5. "Alright, let's move. They've taken out the elevators so we will have to take the stairs. We take point, you take the rear. Everybody else get in between. Go!"

Without a question the small group got in line and started to move, quickly but cautiously. Wolf didn't like the fact that he didn't get a weapon but asking for one would certainly only increase the Deltas' suspicion. They didn't trust him, he could see it in their eyes, and if he was honest even armed he wouldn't have been much of a help. The effects of the drugs Lehmann had given him were not as bad as he had dreaded but still enough to make him stumble from time to time and his senses – all of them – were absolutely not working like they were supposed to. Usually he would have been able to hear their enemies moving, would've smelled the stench of blood although they had not come across a corpse or a wounded soldier yet but there was barely anything. Drunk, yes, that was a very appropriate description of his current condition. Dammit!

For a while they were advancing without difficulties and he could tell the two scientists started hoping they would make it to the stairs without problems, but as almost always lately their luck run out.

When they rounded a corner they were suddenly greeted by fire; Markus and another Delta fell to the ground and died before they were even able to fight back. Their two fellow soldiers returned fire and for about thirty seconds no party was able to get the upper hand until – supported by the three female X5s – they got a few lucky shots and in a last act of valiance the two Swiss transgenics charged their enemies and finished them off. Now even Wolf could smell the blood.

Breathing heavily the Deltas ordered the group to continue and hurry up and after another half minute they finally arrived at the stairs. The leading Delta opened the steel door with his code and urged the scientists forward, followed by the three young boys. The three women were next and then the Swiss soldier called out for the last of their small group, Wolf, the small girl and the last Delta who was securing the hallway. Just when they got up the door suddenly started to close despite of the soldier's attempt to keep it open. The three transgenics still outside started running but Wolf already knew they wouldn't make it. He was too slow, too weak in his current state and the girl was just too young to be fast enough. With a quick side glance the last Delta seemed to come to the same conclusion as he sped up and blurred past the door at the very last moment.

Wolf and the girl arrived maybe a second later, just when the steel door was about to close. From the other side he could hear the angry and anxious screams and shouts from his siblings before the door was sealed.

"Godsdammit!" he cursed. "What the hell was that?"

"Remote lockdown, sir" the girl replied. Her eyes were wide and she was definitely distressed but nevertheless answered the question immediately. "Apparently Command has come to the conclusion that this area can't be hold and decided to seal it off."

"Great!" he muttered, understanding all too well what she was telling him. For a moment he felt dizzy again and closed his eyes until he felt a little bit better. He gave the door a last hard glance before he turned away. He didn't feel any anger towards those who had made it through, not even the Delta who had been the last one to make it. The man had done the only right thing as there had been no possibility to get him and the girl through as well.

"Sir? What are we gonna do now?" the young Echo wanted to know and although she tried to hide it he could hear her barely suppressed fears all too well. He looked down at her with sudden sympathy. She had dark brown, close-cropped hair and green eyes. She was very slim, even for her age, and wore the grey standard uniform of her generation. Wolf didn't doubt she was just as well-trained as he had been at that age but he also knew she wouldn't be a match for an Alliance Commando.

"We're gonna get you out of here. Is there another way?"

"There is another exit" she nodded briskly. "Back the way we came."

"Good. Let's get moving. What's your name?"

"Brianna, sir!"

"Alright. We're gonna make it out of here, Brianna" he told her with as much confidence as he could muster. "Stay behind me and do exactly as I do, understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

He gave her a brief smile and then they started to make their way back. When they came past the dead Alliance soldiers and Deltas they both picked up a rifle and a sidearm and although he knew he was not at his best at the moment Wolf felt much better with a weapon in his hands.

Brianna seemed to know that part of the fortress very well and they approached their target – an old maintenance tunnel – very quickly. When they were about to reach their destination Wolf suddenly picked up voices coming from the room ahead and he stopped. He signaled the girl to stay behind and slowly approached the door and peeked inside. It seemed to be a storage room, pretty large and filled with different kinds of crates and equipment. There was another door at the opposite side and he could even see the entrance to the maintenance tunnel. Unfortunately he could also see three Alliance Commandos; they were wearing balaclava masks and were equipped with the usual assault gear he would've picked for such an operation as well. And they were heavily armed. Right now they were checking the room for hidden survivors but there was no doubt they would come exactly in his direction once they had finished that. He scanned the room, looked for possible hiding-places and covers before he retreated just as silently as he had appeared.

At his signal Brianna came closer and he informed her briefly about what he had seen. Her eyes – if even possible – grew wider but she gripped her weapon tighter and gave him a grim nod; she was ready to fight. Wolf smiled sadly at that demonstration of bravery and shook his head.

'_You go through. I cover.'_ He signaled her. The girl frowned, apparently confused.

'_Cover for you. Not possible.'_ She replied in the same way.

'_I know. Prepare.'_

'_Where will you go?'_

He gritted his teeth and gave her a hard look. _'Prepare!'_

For a heartbeat she hesitated but then finally seemed to understand what was going to happen. She looked up at him with a mixture of dread, nervousness and sadness. Finally she nodded.

They approached the door again where Wolf could hear their enemies still looking for a target. He was quite sure he could take out one or two of them even in his current state and that would give Brianna enough time to make it to the tunnel, enter it and close the entrance behind her. For a brisk moment his thoughts went back to his unit – his family – but he forced himself to concentrate on his mission. He was damaged goods, Brianna wasn't. At least one last thing he would do right. Unconsciously his face hardened and he became X5-451 again, a soldier with a mission, a mission he would not abort.

'_Ready?'_ he asked and the girl nodded. Without wasting another precious second he burst into the room and raised his rifle. The Alliance soldiers looked up, surprised although they had expected more enemies and Wolf pulled the trigger three times. One bullet missed but the other two hit the soldier closest to him square in the chest. He screamed and fell to the ground. His comrades opened fire and Wolf was forced to dive behind some wooden crates. Right after that he could hear his enemies calling for reinforcements.

Where was the girl?

He spotted her next to the entrance to the tunnel just as she opened it. The brief distraction had allowed her to sprint across the room without being shot and the X5 allowed himself a grim smile. She looked back at him and hesitated again; she knew exactly what would happen if she left him behind but there was no way he would be able to join her, not with two enemies who were just waiting for him to stick out his head. He signaled her to go and she nodded briskly before she disappeared into the tunnel and closed the entrance again. For a brief moment Wolf wondered why that way had not been remotely blocked by the command center as well but decided he had better things to do then to rack his brains over that.

The Alliance reinforcements arrived. From what he could make out at least four or five of them, maybe even more. They spread out across the room and there was no doubt they were waiting for him to make a mistake. Or maybe they would just toss a grenade and end his life with one big bang. He decided not to wait for that.

As fast as he could he got up, spotted an enemy to the right and shot at him three times. Two bullets missed but the last one caught the soldier in the head and he went down without a sound. Right after that Wolf ducked again as the rest of the attackers opened fire as well.

"Cease firing!" one of them suddenly shouted. "It's 451! Cease firing, you morons! We need him alive!"

For a second Wolf froze as panic threatened to overwhelm him and then suddenly he understood. They were not here to attack Fortress Delta, they were here for him! How did they know he was still alive? If Cottle's chip hadn't worked he would be dead already! Had the old physician talked, did Renfro once again know everything? Had he…?

"X5-451!" the same voice, apparently the squad leader, called out. "We're here to bring you back on direct order from Director Renfro. You are to come with us without resistance, that's an order, soldier!"

Wolf gritted his teeth, breathing heavily. All his fears seemed to become real once again. They were here to bring him back, back to her.

"451, I'm giving you a direct order! Drop your weapon and get over here, right now!"

He would not – could not – do that, not again. Suddenly the young transgenic felt very calm. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, savoring that last moment of relative peace, before he dropped his rifle and stood up very slowly. The Alliance Commandos had him in their sights but he didn't even really notice them. He stepped forward almost casually and his eyes searched for their leader. He spotted him when the man lowered his own weapon and took a step forward.

"Very good, soldier" he said and even under the mask Wolf thought to see a mean grin but that was perhaps just his imagination. "We will have you back at Renfro's in not time. Let's go."

The Manticore transgenic didn't move and continued to stare at the masked man.

"What are you waiting for, you brat? Get moving!"

"Burn in hell" Wolf said quietly, almost gently. He waited for half a second and when he could see the man's eyes changed from angry to surprised to alarmed his whole body flashed into action. He let himself drop to one knee while his hand reached behind his back and drew the concealed sidearm. Two bullets barely missed him and just when he raised the gun, pointed at the squad leader and pulled the trigger another one hit him in the chest, then another and then another. Pain exploded in his whole body and erased every sane thought but even as he fell back he could clearly see how his own round hit the Alliance soldier and the black clad man was thrown back and went down with an agonized scream. A lucky kill, but a kill nevertheless.

A split second later Wolf hit the concrete floor but surprisingly didn't feel much pain anymore, only a numb coldness which quickly spread through his whole body. It felt different than Strasbourg; maybe that was a good sign. Three direct hits to the chest, not even he could survive that. His vision began to blur, his thoughts became incoherent but he felt glad nevertheless. There wouldn't be anything to bring back to Renfro this time.

And then everything went black.

* * *

But suddenly he could hear again, then he started to feel that he was lying on something soft, definitely not the cold concrete floor he remembered. He tried to open his eyes but pressed them shut again when the bright lights blinded him. He tried again, slower this time and succeeded. He looked around, recognizing the infirmary after a few seconds and frowning in confusion. How did he end up here? Suddenly he remembered.

"Brianna!" he gasped and sat up in a flash. Ignoring the waves of dizziness and the sick feeling in his stomach he got up from the bed as fast as he could when a deep and calm voice stopped him.

"If I were you I would take it easy. I will not be hold responsible if you keel over and hit your head again." Wolf spun around and stared at Colonel Meyer who was sitting in the corner of the room, feeling a mixture of surprise and aggressiveness; how could that man just sit there when there was an attack going on? Sometimes ordinaries were just weird. At least he was standing and… All of a sudden he stopped and frowned and looked down at himself. He was still wearing his grey shirt and BDUs, the same he had put on the morning of the attack but they were not soaked in blood. Incredulously he touched his chest but there was not pain, not even a bandage under the thin fabric. He looked a Meyer again.

"No, you're not injured" the older man chuckled and got up from his chair, approaching him slowly.

"Stun rounds?"

"Exactly."

"And the men in the black masks were…"

"Deltas" Meyer nodded with a quiet smile. "From platoon four, to be precise. You have not worked with them a lot so we decided you would most likely not recognize them."

"That whole attack" Wolf began slowly, feeling anger starting to rise up in his throat like bitter bile "was a setup?"

"Yes, it was. You're a quick thinker, I have to give you that." Meyer had his hands behind his back and looked at him without the slightest sign of regret in his eyes. "You can stop glaring at me like that; your friends have been doing that for quite a while already. Get dressed, we need to go. I'll explain the rest on the way."

"What about the Echo, Brianna?"

"She's alright and actually seemed to enjoy herself during the exercise, now which part of 'get dressed' did you not understand?"

For a second the X5 stared at the Colonel but decided there was nothing he could do for the time being, except following orders. Not a minute later the two men left the infirmary and got to the elevator which brought them further down. Meyer didn't say anything until they arrived at their destination level and started walking towards the Briefing Room Wolf remembered so well.

"There were two choices" the Colonel finally started. "I could have you undergo psychological evaluations for weeks and months and still would not have been sure if you were really on our side. So that was out of the question and besides that we don't have the time. The other choice was to throw you into a realistic exercise and let you face a threat, one you had to believe to be a true one. If you would fight for our side I would know you told us the truth and whatever control that witch Renfro once had over you was gone. If you would have turned against us all you could have done was stunning a few of my men before we would take you out. Either way I would know what I was looking at. So we decided to take you to that laboratory where you were injected with a drug which would not incapacitate you but suppress your transgenic senses enough so you would not be able to tell it was a trick. We used stun rounds and fake blood and we convinced some of your teammates to play along. That was the trickiest part, believe me. It was the only way I could be sure you can be trusted and sure as hell the only way I would ever allow you again to get a hold of a weapon."

For a while they continued walking side by side and Wolf considered Meyer's arguments. The older man was right in every aspect and although the young transgenic still did not like the fact that he had been played once again he knew the Swiss officer had done the only thing that made sense.

"I understand, sir" he finally replied. "But you have to admit it wasn't a fair fight."

"I don't intend to be fair. My only goal is to accomplish my mission and if I have to hurt someone's feelings once in a while I will do it. But I don't think that will be a problem, will it?"

"No sir", Wolf replied with a quick glance at the Colonel and the hint of a smile. "It won't."

"Good. From this moment on you are back on active duty. Your teammates will fill you in later and your personal belongings, equipment and weapons are brought back to your quarters as we speak." For the first time Meyer smiled genuinely as they arrived outside the briefing room. "Before we enter you need to know what's going on in there. Your team is inside, along with the rest of your former Manticore soldiers and every single last one platoon leader of this fortress, transgenics and ordinaries alike. They're being showed the footage of the surveillance cameras; we recorded them during the exercise. After that Jondy and Zira will tell us what they found on the hard drive you had when they captured you in Wyoming."

"Those were only files Director Renfro would eventually use for work during her journeys" Wolf answered a little bit surprised. "I was charged to guard and transport them, it was no big deal. Was there anything of use?"

"Apparently yes, but now come on, we're wasting time."

"One last thing, sir" Wolf held the older man back. He waited until Meyer nodded. "Why…why did you come to infirmary, sir? You certainly have better things to do than waiting for me to wake up."

"I put you in that situation" the Swiss officer told him sternly, but not unfriendly, "and it was my job to be there and explain things to you. I'm absolutely convinced what I did was the right thing but that doesn't mean I liked doing it. And finding out whether you were on our side or not was not my only goal."

"Sir?"

"Ever since you woke up after that cardiac arrest of yours you've been unconfident, hesitant, not sure of yourself anymore. I understand that this is only natural after what you've been through but I wanted to give you back your confidence and self-esteem. During that exercise you've been acting like the soldier I remember; you didn't hesitate, didn't second-gaze and you decided to protect Brianna at all cost. Colonel Lydecker said the same. I'm quite sure that little fight was needed to really bring you back, am I right?"

"I guess so" Wolf nodded a little bit absentminded before he snapped back to reality. "I think I understand and I also believe you are right. Thank you, sir."

"Very well, now let's get in."

Without waiting for a reply Meyer opened the door and entered and Wolf was quick to follow him. Inside chairs were pushed back and everybody jumped up and snapped at attention when the base commander was suddenly in the room. On the big screen on the wall Wolf could see the frozen picture of a surveillance camera footage, showing him as he was lying on the floor and two of platoon four's Deltas at his side, apparently checking his vitals.

"At ease. Have a seat."

Wolf hesitated for a second before he saw that the chair between Artemis and Kyla was empty. On his way there he let his eyes wander over the platoon commanders and to his surprise he could see no distrust coming from them anymore; some of them gave him small nods of acknowledgement and some even had a hint of a smile tucking at their lips, most of all the leaders of the four transgenic platoons.

"Welcome back" Artemis whispered when he sat down and all of his siblings gave him brief but nonetheless happy looks before they returned their attention to Zira, the transgenic intelligence specialist. Wolf smiled back at them as he knew this was neither the time nor the place for a happy family reunion but after having seen how the Deltas had reacted to his presence in an almost friendly way he could wait; it seemed like Meyer's actions had caused exactly what the old man had intended: He was trusted again.

"Have you finished with the first part of the briefing, Zira?" Meyer wanted to know.

"Yes, sir! We were about to begin with the second part."

"Good timing" the base commander murmured more to himself and sat down next to Lydecker. "Begin!"

"Yes, sir! Jondy?"

The X5 in question stood up and went to Zira's side. Max actually knew about this as much as she did but they had decided she would do the talking this time.

"We have categorized the data we found on the hard drive from Wyoming" Zira began. For an outsider it would've seemed she was just as controlled and stoic as ever but the other transgenics could see she was excited, "and we were right. The intel on that hard drive was more than we could ever hoped for. It looks like Elizabeth Renfro really wanted to have some sort of life insurance. We will give you a short summary, a detailed report is already on your desk, Colonel."

Meyer nodded silently and waited for them to continue. He knew that many of their recently gained knowledge was actually only at their disposal now because of Logan Cale but he had decided that the man already knew more than enough and had forbidden him to come to this meeting.

"We've learned about three things mainly" Jondy continued where Zira had stopped. "First of all their bases."

Behind the two women the screen came back to live, showing a world map with several – rather many – red dots on it.

"Every dot stands for a base" Jondy explained. "We did not mark all their safe houses, that would have been too much."

"There are at least two major bases on every continent safe the Antarctic." That was Zira again. "The biggest ones are the Wyoming Manticore facility and their headquarters near Washington DC."

Some of the soldiers shifted uncomfortably; from looking at that map alone they all could tell they had seriously underestimated the Alliance's power. At least two bases on every continent and many more in Europe and North America, this was huge!

"Second there was list of members." Jondy's eyes suddenly held an uncharacteristic evil gleam. "We found names, pictures and other information about every last one of them, from their leaders and supporters down to their field operatives. That is what they call their 'council', their leading committee."

Pictures of people started to appear on the screen, some of them wearing uniform and others apparently expensive suits.

"We have already identified them" Zira informed her audience. "The highest ranking of their council is Lieutenant General Thomas Kovacs, working in the Pentagon."

"Son of a bitch!" Lydecker whispered, looking paler than the X5s had ever seen him. "That's one of ours. He's been in charge of our northeastern sector for the last six years."

"That is correct, sir" Jondy nodded. "And it gets worse. Over the years the Alliance has posted operatives in almost every part of our military, government, intelligence services and in the private sector as well. A few years ago they started to expand, mostly to Asia and Europe but they have not yet established a full grown force in those sectors. That's a part of the explanation why the SRTU have not been attacked until recently."

"How were they able to establish such an organization without anybody noticing?" Even Ares seemed to be more than just surprised. But Zira just shook her head.

"Their main base of operations have always been the United States and after the Pulse they had the perfect opportunity to grow in the shadows. There was just too much chaos for anybody to notice. More details are in our final report."

"Do we know for how long they have existed" Alec asked, his voice hard."

"Yes, we do. That brings us to point number three. We have reconstructed their history. The first report is from 2004, some sort of official foundation meeting. For the next years they remained hidden, mostly trying to recruit new members and gathering intelligence. In 2012 however they suddenly got a lot more active."

"Let me guess" Lydecker spoke up. "They got money."

"Yes, sir" Jondy confirmed his assumption. "Apparently they found more and more subjects from the private sector who were willing to support them."

"That's not surprising. It was in 2011 that the X5 generation became really operative. We stepped on many toes with our operations. Did you find out something about their goals?"

"Well, sir" Zira answered but hesitated for a brief moment. "Nowadays they see transgenic military as a threat to their economical interests. As you said it yourself; your operations have caused them a lot of harm, most of all they have lost a lot of money because of Manticore operations. However, it seems that in the beginning the first members of the Alliance wanted nothing else but terminate the US transgenic program. Their motivation seemed to be mostly ideological. The data is inconclusive but my guess is they could not accept a kind like the transgenic one."

"Are you saying we are dealing with religious fanatics?" Meyer sounded worried. The situation for transgenics was difficult enough as it was, if you added to that nobody would be able to tell the outcome.

"Rather something racist" Wolf murmured loud enough for everybody to hear it.

"Why?"

"Renfro might be many things but she sure as hell is not the religious type." That comment earned him a few quiet grins.

"And she hates trangenics" Max stated matter-of-factly. "Intensely."

"It is possible, but we're not sure, Colonel." Jondy shrugged. "I'm sorry, but like Zira said; the data is inconclusive. It could be religious beliefs or perhaps something racist…we really can't say for sure. What we know is that the higher ups in their organization still think like this but they have also adapted to the demands of their financiers. And as far as we can tell their troops, even the augmented ones, are nothing but mercenaries."

"Let me get this straight" the commander of Fortress Delta began. "They have safe locations on every habitable continent, have infiltrated most of all the American but also parts of the Asian and European society and are most probably motivated by ideology and money. And we know who they are."

"That's right, sir. As I said, this is just a brief summary; you'll find our full report on your desk."

"I don't need a damned report to understand that this is too big for us" Meyer growled and stood up. "What about the other SRTUs? Have they been compromised?"

"Negative, sir, that was the first thing we checked; they're clean."

"At least something. Is there anything else?"

"No, sir, only the medical reports from Manticore about X5-451, but you have already seen them." Zira watched her superior with her usual calm and cold eyes again. "I was going to show them to the platoon leaders before ending the briefing."

"You do that" Meyer nodded. "Deck, you're with me!"

"Where are we going?" Lydecker stood up as well but signaled Major Coleman that he and the other Manticore black ops could stay. He had already seen the medical reports from Cottle as well and had no intention of watching them again if he didn't have to.

"Getting some reinforcements" was the Swiss officer's only reply. Lydecker frowned but followed his friend without question. When they had left the room Zira turned towards Wolf.

"The reports are from your time in your PsyOps" she explained. "They are very detailed. We know you are on our side but nevertheless I would like to show them to everyone, to make sure nobody starts asking questions. Are you okay with that?"

"I am." For a split second Wolf thought to see a hint of surprise in her eyes but it was gone before he could be sure. "Let's get it over with."

"Very well. Jondy, start the first video, please."

* * *

"What are we going to do, Chris?" Lydecker asked his friend just as they entered the command center.

"Like I said, getting reinforcements. This Alliance is far bigger than we thought and there is no way we can pull this off on our own. Captain Sehler, I want you to contact the SRTU headquarters of France, Germany and Britain, conference call! Make them understand that I want to speak with the COs only and I don't care if they have to get them away from a briefing with the Queen, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Sehler was not new to Meyer's sometimes strange demands and so he didn't even think about asking questions but relayed the order to the communication officer.

"What are you doing?" Lydecker demanded to know. Not even somebody as powerful as Colonel Meyer could just contact foreign officers and tell them about their situation without approval from his superiors.

"Relax, Deck, I'm not going to tell them anything" his friend reassured him quietly. "Not yet."

After that they waited for about twenty minutes mostly in silence until Captain Sehler finally approached them and reported that all three communications were established and ready.

"Very good. On screen, Lieutenant!"

Sehler nodded at his subordinates and a moment later the faces of two men and one woman in different uniforms appeared on the screen.

"Nicht, dass ich mich über dieses Treffen nicht freuen würde" one of the men said with thick sarcasm, "aber was zum Teufel soll das, Chris?" (It's not like I wouldn't appreciate this meeting, but what the hell is this all about, Chris?)

"I'm really happy to see you, too, Thomas" Meyer replied with a mean grin. "And please speak English so everybody can understand you. Let's make this as short as possible. Allow me to introduce you to Colonel Donald Lydecker, United States Army. He is the former commanding officer of the US Manticore program."

"So the rumors are true" the woman said with a slight hint of surprise. Judging from her accent she was British. Meyer just nodded.

"Deck, these are Colonel Thomas Korten" – Meyer nodded at the man who had spoken first, "commander of the German SRTU and General Elizabeth Shepperd who commands the British base. And you have already heard the voice of Colonel François Galland who commands the French SRTU."

The last man nodded politely but didn't say anything.

"Now that we have all met each other" Shepperd interrupted, "would you please be so kind and tell me why I just had to cancel a meeting with my staff? Your communications officer told me it was 'urgent as hell.'"

"Well, those were not the words I used but my men know how to gain the necessary attention if they have to." Meyer gave the woman another sly grin before he became totally serious again. "I don't know how much you know already about Colonel Lydecker and the Manticore program and its current situation and given the circumstances I cannot risk to brief you over this channel. I must, however, inform you that there is a new enemy, an enemy we have fought for the last year and who will attack you and your troops sooner or later as well."

"What are you talking about?" For the first time Korten seemed to be less annoyed and more worried.

"I cannot tell you the specifics, Thomas, not like this. But I can assure you this adversary is a force to be reckoned with. We have already suffered losses and I'm afraid we will continue to lose soldiers if we don't do something. I suggest you all come to Fortress Delta where I can brief you about the situation directly."

"Why do you need us?" Shepperd watched him suspiciously. "Can't you do that…"

"Are those the same soldiers you fought near Strasbourg" she was interrupted by Colonel Galland. The French SRTU commander had not said a word until now but seemed rather worried.

"Yes, they are."

"I'll put my base on alert." Galland looked like a man who had just received his marching orders. "I have to contact my superiors first but you can expect my arrival during the next two or three days."

"That important, François?" Korten seemed to understand fully well that his French comrade knew something about this new enemy he didn't.

"Absolutely."

"Very well, I will come, too."

"In that case you can count me in as well" General Shepperd informed them briskly. She didn't seem to like the idea of this whole affair but the reactions of Galland and Korten told her enough. "We will contact you as soon as we can to make further arrangements. Anything else?"

Everybody denied and one after the other the three SRTU commanders terminated their connections.

"Are you crazy?" Lydecker hissed as soon as nobody else was listening anymore. "You can't just bring foreign units into this!"

"I just did! If we want to win this war we need reinforcements and we need them fast. I didn't tell them anything important yet."

"And what about your superiors? I don't believe they will like the idea of having foreign transgenic forces walking around in your country!"

"Relax, my superiors are the next ones I'm gonna call." Meyer grinned broadly, apparently enjoying the whole situation in a very weird way. "Come on, Deck, trust me. I know how to convince them. After all I still have my job."

"Not for long anymore if you keep up these lunatic stunts of yours!" Lydecker murmured. He slowly began to see the logic behind his friend's actions but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Pessimist! Captain Sehler? I want you to get me a detailed report about our air transport situation and I'm not talking about this base but about all of our armed forces. And I want the same reports about all infantry combat units which could be made combat-ready within the next two months." Meyer looked at his subordinate with a more than serious expression and Sehler didn't need to be told something bad was gonna happen if he screwed this up. Not that he intended to. "And Captain, make it as quiet as possible, you understand me?"

"Absolutely, Colonel. Anything else?"

"Contact Bern and tell them I need to talk to them. Now get to work." Meyer nodded briskly and together the two old Colonel left the command center.

"This will be one hell of an op!" Lydecker stated. His friend was thinking about bringing other units – ordinary soldiers – into this.

"This won't be an operation." Meyer sighed. "This will be war."

* * *

Later that day Wolf was walking from the rec room to his quarters. He was quietly smiling to himself; it looked like he was really back after all. After the briefing he had talked to the Delta platoon leaders and he had felt that they trusted him again and if they did so would their soldiers. Watching the videos from some of his reindoctrination sessions and Cottle's comments had been disturbing – most of all when the physician had informed the audience about his attempted suicide – but he felt better now in a strange way. The other transgenics understood why he had tried to end his life and Ares had told him straightaway that while he didn't know if it had been the right way he understood and would probably have tried to do it, too, if he had been in Wolf's position.

And it was the same with his unit. They looked at him differently again, not like he was going to break down soon but with a sort of silent understanding. There were not many words needed; they had known each other for so long they didn't need to talk to know what the other was feeling. They knew they could rely on him and he finally felt like a part of their family again. Only Max and Jondy had at first looked at him with some sort of sympathy – almost pity – he didn't want. It was over and he was still alive, that was all that counted. He didn't blame them, though. The two '09ers had always been more emotional than the rest of them.

He entered his quarters and noticed with a small grin that Kyla was already there, sitting at the table with her back towards him and going over some reports. She had left immediately after the briefing and went to the shooting range so he hadn't seen her since then. When she didn't move or even give the slightest sign that she'd noticed his presence – which she certainly had – he frowned and walked up behind her.

"Something wrong?" he asked casually.

She shuddered barely visible and stood up, but kept her back towards him. Her whole body was tense and her hands were clenched into fists. She was angry, Wolf could almost taste the feeling radiating from her like heat. Nevertheless he was not prepared for what happened next.

"You bastard!" she hissed with a voice so menacing and full of dark venom like he'd never heard it before. Without warning she spun around and backhanded him across the face hard enough to make him see stars. He stumbled back, his lip split open and he tasted his own blood in his mouth.

"What the…?" he began, a part of him surprised at her sudden violent outburst but a much bigger part furious as hell. He wasn't given time to finish his sentence however as she lashed out at him again and he had to use all his skills to block her next attacks.

"Have you any idea" she hissed through gritted teeth as she broke through his defenses and hit him in the chest, hard, "what it cost us…to get to you…?"

Her eyes were aflame with anger and her blows were powerful but her wrath got the better of her; she neglected her defense. Wolf quickly overcame his initial surprise and switched to the offensive himself. He sidestepped her next attack, grabbed her and threw her violently against the locker. She didn't even seem to feel the pain, just got up in a flash and growled at him, baring her teeth.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" he yelled, breathing heavily.

"With me?" she shouted. "That's rich coming from you!"

She approached him and grabbed his left wrist and held onto it when he tried get out of her reach. He could have ended the fight right there as she didn't even try to keep up some sort of cover but he didn't as she didn't seem to plan to attack him for the moment.

"This is what's wrong!" she hissed, her nails digging into the scar his own teeth had left on his skin.

"It was the only way" he growled lowly, needing all his self-restraint not to hit her again.

"That is never a way, you idiot!" He let go of him and turned away, bringing some distance between the two of them before she turned around to face him again.

"We were coming for you! We flew over the damned ocean, endangering everybody in this command. For you!" she continued, still trying to sound angry but all her strength and rage seemed to leave her. Her throat felt sore and her voice wavered. Kyla had tried not to feel so unsure anymore, so left and abandoned so she had turned to anger and fighting. Fighting was good. She knew how to do it. Dealing with what Wolf had done? She had absolutely no idea how she was supposed to do that. "We…we were coming for you! Like we always do. Didn't you know that? Do you have so little faith in us? In me?"

"I knew I would put everyone in danger if I stayed alive" he tried to explain as calmly as possible. "Which I did. I didn't know about the Echo base, true, but before they got me to talk they had no idea about Fortress Delta. They do now. I didn't want this to happen."

"But why didn't you tell me last night?" Kyla whispered. "Why didn't you trust me? I want to help you. You know I stay by your side, always have, always will."

She felt left out, betrayed and Wolf could understand her but this had to stop.

"I know and I do trust you but I want this to be over. It's just another wound I survived. I'm scarred, not broken. Let it go." He watched her carefully and instead of being angry or even agitated Kyla suddenly just looked tired, exhausted. He waited another few moments until she finally nodded. She had needed to vent her anger on somebody and as Renfro was not present and he was he'd just gotten lucky. She approached him and pulled him into a tight embrace, resting her head on his shoulder, not saying a word but he understood her nevertheless. For about a minute they stood like that until he suddenly chuckled. "That's one deadly right hook you've got there."

She laughed against his shoulder, then pulled back a little bit so she could look at him.

"Silly man" she murmured softly and Wolf inwardly sighed in relief; the bad thing about Kyla was that she could become a real fury; the good thing on the other hand was that most of the time she was reasonable and calmed down almost as quickly as she got angry. She brought her hand to his face and carefully run her thumb over his split lip. "Sorry about that."

"Will remind me not to sneak up on you."

"You better." Slowly she leant forward and kissed him, softly and carefully at first but then more demanding. Gods, this felt so good! She had almost forgotten the feeling of his lips against hers. Slowly they started to move. Hands roamed over bodies, slipped under shirts and caressed the hot skin beneath. Kyla moaned and sighed in relief against his slightly parted lips, savoring every second. Everything except him seemed to have vanished from her thoughts and all she cared about was feeling him, tasting him and making sure he would never leave her again.

Her eyes were half-closed and she panted slightly while she pushed him back until he was cornered between her hot body and the cold concrete wall. It was like being in Heat but this time the feeling was only directed at him, she realized with the small part of her brain which was still thinking logically. And it was more intense, more beautiful. And more aggressive.

Out of a sudden instinct she broke their kiss and spun him around, holding one of his arms in a firm grip behind his back while her other arm was slung around his upper body and her hand resting on his chest. She didn't use enough force to actually hurt him but he was nevertheless surprised by her sudden display of dominance and tensed a little bit but let it happen.

"You are mine!" she whispered hoarsely into his ear, her breasts pressed against his back. She would never let him go again. "Don't you ever forget that again you hear me? Mine!"

"I am" he murmured softly but she wasn't satisfied. With a deep purr she leant closer and licked over the tender skin of his barcode, causing him to shiver and moan quietly.

"Say it!" she demanded more sternly. "Mine!"

"Yours" he whispered truthfully with his eyes closed and that simple word was enough to set her feral side completely free. A dark growl emerged from her chest and in a swift and fluent move she brought her teeth to his neck and sank them into his flesh, right above his barcode, hard enough to split the skin and leave a scar. He yelped in surprise and pain and threw his head back but she held him firmly in her grip and bit down just a little bit harder. He abruptly stopped moving and ceased all resistance while a high-pitched, pleading whimper escaped his throat and his legs turned to jelly; if Kyla had not been holding him he would've sunk to the floor. One part of him was shocked by her actions but another, bigger one felt something right about it and he didn't dare and wasn't able to move. His heart was racing and his whole body was tingling. He felt like he'd been running for hours, feeling weak, exhausted and a little bit anxious at the same time. Right then and there he was completely at her mercy.

Finally she let go, her teeth leaving his neck, causing him to gasp weakly. Subconsciously she grinned, looking at the imprints her teeth had left. _'Mine!'_

"Gods, Kyla!" he hissed with his still eyes closed and panting heavily. She allowed him to turn around and face her again but did not let go of him; her mate wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Her eyes still held that feral spark and her swollen lips were deep red from his blood. "What are you doing to me?"

"Shut up and come here!" she commanded, kissing him forcefully and pulling him towards the bed. "Welcome back, 451."

And for the first time Wolf truly felt like he was finally home.

* * *

**Okay, at least it's longer than my usual chapters so maybe that will help you to be a little bit more forgiving? I certainly hope so.**

**I wanted to end the whole Wolf problematic in this chapter. Not that he will disappear completely, as a matter of fact he and Kyla will have some explaining to do in the morning, but I want to get started with the planning of the attack now.**

**And yes, there will be M/A!**

**Okay, let me know what you think, please!**


	23. Grinning Sharks

**452max:** Most of your questions should be answered in this chapter. Some not yet and the action, or at least part of it, will start in the next chapter. Anyway, thanks a lot for your review once again!

**Jasper's Imaginary Friend:** Thanks to you, too. Well, I keep writing, I really do, but I just need longer to update. I hope that doesn't bother you too mucht.

**cappsy:** Who called for an update? Here you go. Ah, damned, thanks for reminding me. I knew I had forgotten something in the last chapter. You'll get a glimpse of why they want Max and Kara in this chapter, sorry about that. Thanks a lot again!

**Yeldi:** Welcome on board! Well, I'm really glad you enjoy the story. Most of your questions will be answered in this chapter and the rest will be answered by the time the story is finished. No, I will certainly not stop writing here and I really try to update faster, but you know it, real life can be difficult sometimes.

And about your English: Haven't seen any major mistakes and by the way: don't worry, it isn't my mother tongue either.

Ah oui, moi et mon français de caserne. Désolé pour les fautes, j'essaye vraiment de les éviter. Et oui, je crois qu'il y aura un autre passage en français à un certain point.

Thanks a lot for your review and I hope you're still out there!

* * *

The next morning the mess of Fortress Delta was crowded as always while the transgenic and ordinary soldiers alike had breakfast. Most of the units had a table for themselves while the higher ranking officers and their staff sat a little bit aside. Max slapped Alec as he tried to steal from her plate once again.

"Alec, stop it!" she warned. "You've got your own food!"

"But I didn't get any ham" he complained.

"Of course you didn't! You need to lose some of your reserves first!"

"Reserves? What? Are you saying I'm fat?" The look on his face could actually be described as one of shock.

"Well, now that you mention it…" she began with a smile but trailed off, leaving the rest to his imagination.

"Hey, I can't remember you complaining about my physical appearance last…"

"Cut!" they were interrupted by Artemis' sharp voice. The sniper glared at them with fake disgust. "There are people eating here, alright?"

"Losing your appetite?" Alec asked with a smirk and the shorthaired woman rolled her eyes.

Blade watched the whole scenario with silent satisfaction; ever since that fateful evening when she had talked to Alec about his relationship with Max the two of them seemed more relaxed and almost carefree most of the time. Apparently the male X5 heeded her advice and was taking it slow, giving Max the space she needed. By now they almost never stopped making digs at each other and the constant teasing was nothing but cute; all in all the two X5s could only be described as happy.

Blade looked at Ares and grinned; she was glad for Max and Alec but she would never want him to become like that. True, those two were cute, but even imagining Ares acting like that was…creepy. Her grin grew wider and the Delta transgenic looked at her inquiringly but she just shook her head. He hesitated for a second but then shrugged with an accepting smile. That was one of the things the Asian X5 loved so much about him; they were so similar they didn't need to talk to understand each other and were comfortable with the silence between them, sometimes for hours.

"Look who's finally gotten out of bed!" Nova exclaimed all of a sudden. Wolf and Kyla greeted them with silent nods, sat down and started to eat.

"It's pretty unusual for the two of you to be late" Havoc began after a while. "Is there something we need to know?"

"And what would that be?" Wolf challenged him in a friendly way, glad somebody distracted him from the flirting Alec and Max. Nobody had told him the cocky young man and his twin sister were together now and while he – like everybody else – had been suspecting for a long time they would eventually become a couple it was a completely different thing to actually see it.

"Don't know, you tell me!"

"Keep dreaming."

"What is _that_!?" Max suddenly exclaimed. She was staring at Kyla who was sitting next to her. Slowly she leant closer to her older sister and tentatively reached out. "Kyla, have you been bitten?"

Everybody frowned and looked from Max to Kyla who involuntarily backed away from the younger woman. Max immediately stopped when she saw her sibling's reaction and shared a surprised glance with Alec. At the same time Kyla subconsciously reached for her neck and her fingers softly brushed over the bite mark, the touch sending shivers through her whole body. She blushed slightly and looked at Wolf who was eyeing her with a small yet uncertain smile on his lips. She couldn't help but smile as well when she remembered last night's events. It had been something feral and intensely beautiful. Eventually their roles had changed and suddenly she had been the one under his control. Her smile grew into a wide grin when she recalled the moment he had marked her as his. She remembered all too well how she had frozen and gasped both in pain and excitement when she felt his teeth descending into her neck and she could still hear her pleading whimper, a sound they both recognized now as a sign of complete submission, trust and devotion.

The way her body had reacted to his touch had been something so new and strange and at the same time so intensely beautiful she wished she could relive those moments again.

"Damned, he got one too" Jace suddenly said, looking at Wolf's neck. The Manticore transgenics looked from one of their leaders to the other and all of them began to understand what had happened.

"Just to make things clear" Alec began slowly. "You two bit each other?"

Kyla just shrugged, not knowing what to say. She and Wolf weren't smiling anymore but briefly glanced at each other nervously; they felt that it had been the right thing to do but they had no idea why they'd done it, what it really meant and how they were going to explain it to their brothers and sisters.

"I don't intend to sound offending but that's just weird, alright?" Artemis looked from one of them to the other. "Even for the two of you!"

"Not really" Nova interrupted calmly. She was one of the few who didn't seem to be surprised or worried.

"Why not?" Brin asked. "No offense, Wolf, Kyla, but for once I have to agree with Artemis; that really _is_ weird! Are you in Heat or something, Kyla?"

"No, she isn't." Nova sighed and looked at all of her siblings before she continued. "It's natural. We all have feline DNA, pretty huge amounts of it, at least compared to the rest. And we know this affects our actions from time to time, right?"

"The Heat" Jondy nodded but Nova shook her head.

"Not just Heat. Our whole behavioral patterns. Think about it. We can growl, purr, we unconsciously bare our teeth at our enemies and sometimes we hiss. It's not much, not enough to make us lose our common sense but it is there. In extreme situations our behavior is more feral than an ordinary's. That's nothing bad, it's just us." Nova looked from one to the other until she was sure she had everybody's attention. She pointed at Wolf and Kyla. "Those marks aren't just wounds, they're their claims."

"Claims?" Now Max was seriously confused. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, for the love of the Gods!" the blonde medic exclaimed. "Do I have to draw you a picture or what? They've claimed each other, as mates."

Wolf and Kyla looked at each other, ignoring the skeptical glances their siblings gave them, and almost simultaneously began to smile again. For some unknown reason they knew Nova was right.

"You seem to be awfully sure about this" Max said to Nova after a few silent moments "considering they're the first ones who have ever done this."

"Who said they're the first ones?" Havoc inquired without looking up from his plate.

"Huh?" was the only noise Max was able to make. This morning was getting weirder and weirder by the second.

Nova gave Havoc her nastiest stare and elbowed him in the ribs but the explosives specialist just shrugged at her. When she felt almost all eyes on her once again she growled theatrically at her boyfriend and bent forward until shoulder-length blonde hair was aside and gave view to her bare neck and almost everybody gasped in surprise when they saw a similar mark on her skin, just like on Wolf's and Kyla's, only older.

"Why did we never see that before?" Brin exclaimed incredulously and looked from Nova to Havoc.

"Well, why do you think 'mister-I-cannot-keep-my-mouth-shut-Havoc' has been wearing turtlenecks for the last four weeks? We've had some time to figure out what this whole thing means and apparently we've been a little bit more careful about it than our two fearless leaders" Nova replied dryly and then looked menacingly at Havoc. "And that, mister, was so not planned! You better have a very good excuse for this stunt of yours later!"

"Aye, ma'am" the male X5 nodded, not at all impressed by her apparent anger and not faltering under the eyes of a seriously pissed off Nova was not an easy task. He knew exactly he would have to pay a price for giving away their little secret but he'd had enough of the emotional problems in his family and facing his enraged partner – no, mate now – in exchange for keeping the peace in the unit was a price he was ready to pay. Not that it was that hard to calm down the blond medic, he told himself with a mental smirk, at least not for him.

"Just for the record" Brin said, "you guys are weird!"

"So what?" Alec asked hesitantly. "Are you saying Max and I are gonna bite each other as well?"

"If you're meant to" Nova nodded, "yes, you will. Trust me, it's irresistible. But I don't think it's something you can force. You'll understand. I'm sorry, I can't explain it otherwise."

"How does it feel?" Max wanted to know.

"Beautiful" Kyla simply answered after a long silence and with a quiet but sincere smile. Her siblings – with the exception of Wolf, Havoc and Nova – gave each other wry looks and grinned.

"_All unit commanders and 2ICs report to Briefing Room One in thirty minutes!"_ an authoritarian voice suddenly emerged from the speakers, interrupting all conversations. _"I say again, all unit commanders and 2ICs report to Briefing Room One in thirty minutes! Message ends."_

"Finally" Ares muttered under his breath. He had known Meyer was up to something and not being informed about the Old Man's plans made him antsy. It looked like that was finally about to change. He stood up and unit two along with Delta platoon one followed his example. Without a word they left the mess hall together with the other soldiers.

Logan watched them leave from his table with a very serious expression on his face. He wasn't military but during his stay at Fortress Delta he had learned much about the non-verbal communications of the transgenic soldiers. They had become utterly serious in the blink of an eye, almost nobody spoke and they moved with an aggressive determination. If the announcement from the speakers hadn't told him, their grim faces would have told him everything he needed to know; there had been no order, no specific information, but they all knew they were preparing for battle.

He sighed. There hadn't been much to do for him for the last few days and he was slowly starting to feel bored. Sure, Meyer still allowed him access to most of the fortress' network but there was not much he could work on for the time being as the base commander had made it very clear he wouldn't be involved in any tactical planning. He was still a guest here, nothing more. At least he got to talk to some soldiers of unit two for a while and even Max seemed to feel comfortable around him again.

"Is this seat taken?" a female voice suddenly asked and he looked up in surprise. Victoria Gibbs – the NCIS agent, he reminded himself – was looking at him inquiringly. After a few seconds he shook his head.

"No, please." She sat down with a small nod and started to eat. Her two guards – ordinary soldiers – stood a little bit to the side but kept a watchful eye on her. She was usually allowed to eat in the mess and from time to time she was given permission to move around in the fortress a little bit to stretch her legs, but she was always escorted and of course she never got to see anything interesting as her minders made sure she didn't get anywhere where she could learn something she shouldn't.

"How are you?" Logan asked when the silence between them became too awkward. Vic glanced at him and swallowed the rest of her breakfast before she shrugged.

"Good, I think, considering the fact that I am apparently a prisoner of war." She eyed him carefully. "How about you, Mister…?"

"Cale" he replied. "But just call me Logan."

"Victoria Gibbs" she said and after a brief moment of hesitation they shook hands. "But my friends call me Vic. Nice to meet you, Logan."

"Nice to meet you, too, Vic." As if on cue they both smiled.

"You're American, are you not?" she asked and he nodded. "Then why are you here? I mean, I heard some of the guards talking in their native language and I'm pretty sure we're not anywhere near to US, are we?"

Logan exchanged a glance with one of the guards and the man silently shook his head. Of course, Victoria noticed and a rueful smile tucked at her lips.

"Right" she meant with a bitter snort. "You're not allowed to tell me."

"No, I'm sorry, I'm not" he replied apologetically.

"You can't just kidnap a US federal agent and think you'll get away with it" she snapped. "Do you have any idea what my agency will do?"

"No, I don't, but I sincerely doubt they will find you here." Logan couldn't help but notice the angry spark in her eyes at his words with some amusement. "Look, you tried to arrest us and my…friends don't like being arrested. How did you find us anyway?"

"My team picked up a call from an airplane to Seattle and they got suspicious when they couldn't crack the encryption you were using. Over the next few days they tried to follow you whenever that specific sort of electronic signal would come up and the morning we tried to arrest you they succeeded and we were able to locate you." Vic shrugged and remembered Abby's cheerful voice on the phone, telling her they'd finally done it. "Took a lot of time, though, whoever you are you must be quite good with computers, right?"

"Oh, well" Logan meant, feeling a little bit surprised by her sudden directness. "I might know a trick or two."

"If you say so" the dark-haired woman accepted his answer with a small smile before she became serious again. "So, if you can't tell me what's going on, can you a least tell me what's going to happen to me?"

She was trying to hide it but Logan could see the small signs of worry.

"I'm not in charge here, as a matter of fact I'm a stranger to this base, just like you" he reminded her, "But my friends are good people, so I can assure you they won't hurt you. I think once all of this is over they will let you go."

"Let me go?" she snorted. "Yeah, right, after everything I've seen here? I doubt that!"

"Oh, believe me" Logan muttered under his breath, "you haven't seen anything yet."

That silenced Victoria for a few seconds and she eyed him with a sudden mixture of worry, surprise and curiousness. After a long time she slowly nodded.

"You know" she said with a small but sincere smile, "Somehow I believe you."

* * *

While the rest of the X5s went to their quarters to prepare for the training exercise Ares and Blade took another way which would lead them there as well but took a little bit longer. When they were finally alone she playfully hit him on the shoulder.

"You Deltas have known about the claims for years! You've told _me_ weeks ago!" she reminded him. "Why didn't you tell them!"

"And miss all that fun?" he laughed. "Hell no! Did you see their faces?"

"Delta-26, you are one sneaky transgenic!" The Asian X5 shook her head but smiled nevertheless. "What about Max and Alec? They'll think they have to do this now, too."

"They won't" he assured her. "A claim can only happen between two transgenics and as far as we know it's meant for life. You have to be meant for each other, otherwise it's not possible."

Blade nodded but her smile had vanished and she was looking down on the floor with a serious and also slightly saddened expression. Ares noticed after a few seconds and abruptly stopped walking and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"X5-194, stop thinking that right now!" he growled.

"What?" she asked a little bit perplexed by his sudden aggression. Was she so easy to read?

"It is not in my nature to act like Alec or Max, you know that, but you also know how I feel about you, don't you?" he asked her and his expression softened. He carefully caressed the soft skin of her barcode and her scar-free neck. "It doesn't take a claim to love somebody, Blade, and these things can take years, so you never know. Maybe it happens tomorrow, maybe next year, maybe never. I'm sorry, this is just the way it is but that doesn't change anything about the fact that I love you."

Blade closed her eyes and sighed. He was right, she knew it, and yet she could not deny that deep inside she felt a slight jealousy towards those who had claimed each other. She loved Ares with everything she had but she wished the two of them would find the same sort of life-long belonging like the others had. She was an X5, he was a Delta and although they were from the same race they were not from the same command. One day they would most certainly be forced to part ways when she returned to Manticore and she wanted that threatening insecurity of leaving him behind without knowing if they would be able to wait for each other to be gone.

"I know. I'd just like us to be like that, too." She whispered and looked at him with a shy smile. "Pretty egoistic, huh?"

"Not really. I would like it, too, but you can't force it. Don't think about it too much." The Delta transgenic waited until he could see she started to accept the truth of his words. "I will never leave you, Blade."

She stared at him, her surprise evident in her eyes. For Ares this was the most intimate thing he had ever said to her in public. A smile tucked at her lips again and she nodded.

"Thank you!"

"Good. Now let's get back to the others before they start to miss us, alright?"

* * *

"We have received positive answers from every SRTU commander. We expect them to arrive tomorrow afternoon. Platoons three and four together with Cougar squadron one will deploy to the airport of Geneva and escort our guests back here." Meyer informed them. The platoon leaders and their 2ICs followed his explanations with grim faces; they all knew this was most likely the beginning of a very big and dangerous operation. "However, in their infinite wisdom the wise men and women in Berne have decided that this operation needs civilian oversight."

This information resulted in a few indignant murmurs and whispers among the present officers until they were silenced by a hard glare from the commander of Fortress Delta. Meyer wasn't happy about this either but nevertheless he would not allow this lack of discipline from his subordinates.

"I know what you're thinking" the old Colonel continued, "and I agree. This operation needs to be kept under a very well guarded cover. But you have seen the information about the Alliance; we know who they are and we have determined that none of the people who will have insight have been corrupted. Our French, British and German allies will most certainly have to inform some of their politicians as well and you can be assured they will apply the same security measures. Now, although no official order has been given yet the Swiss SRTU is gonna be a forward-leaner on this. I want all platoon and wing commanders to prepare their troops; I expect to receive your training schedules in the next twelve hours. Close Quarter Combat, Attack and Destroy and In- and Exfiltration have to be the main subjects. Any requests for weapons, equipment and supplies go directly to the Sergeant-Major of the armory as soon as your schedules have been approved."

Meyer paused and looked at each of his officers before he continued.

"Make no mistake, we're going against a powerful and dangerous enemy and even the transgenic units will need every second of training they can get if they want to prevail and survive this fight. You will be contacted as soon as there are any news, until then I expect you to keep your soldiers under control and ready to deploy at all times, is that clear?"

"SIR, YES SIR!"

"Very well. Dismissed!"

* * *

"Our observation teams report no unusual activity from Fortress Delta. Our analysis is that they don't know what to do next and are waiting for our next move." Major Cullins finished his report and waited for the council's reaction.

"Is it possible that they have spotted your teams and are just putting on a show?"

"Unlikely. The Swiss Army has no access to military satellites and they never send out their patrols so far." Cullins shook his head.

"Very well" Lieutenant General Thomas Kovacs, the council's leader, nodded. "Thank you, Major. Director Renfro, how is the progress on the salvaged DNA going on?"

"Unfortunately, I can't report any progress" Renfro began and stood up. "The DNA samples don't show the anomalies we've discovered in the DNA of X5-452 and X7-452. Our genetics department is still trying to find a solution but until now without success."

"I thought you took samples from both 452s when we found out about their special state?"

"We did, but like all X-series all transgenic genetic codes are destroyed if any organic material is separated from their bodies. It was thought to be a safety measure so hostile forces could not use the DNA salvaged from, let's say blood for example to use and produce their own transgenic soldiers. If an X-soldier was injured nobody had to worry about the DNA he left behind."

"What about the original DNA stored in Manticore's genetic laboratory?"

"We've tried that as well" Renfro nodded. "But the original codes of the 452s show no anomaly either. We really need one of them alive, be it the X5 or the X7. Otherwise I doubt we will be able to complete our work. We don't know what has caused this and we're still trying to find out who is responsible for it."

"Don't play games with us, Director" Kovacs said with an amused chuckle. "There's no doubt this looks like the work of Richard Sandeman, is there?"

"We can't say for sure" the blond woman replied after a few seconds of hesitation, "but most likely yes."

"Why would Sandeman give us the cure?" another council member asked. "This makes no sense!"

"No, it doesn't" Kovacs agreed, "but for whatever reason; he did it. Is there any way you can extract what we need from the DNA samples you have, director?"

Renfro pondered the question for a long time and she knew she was treading on thin ice here. Kovacs, while gentle on the outside, was a cold-blooded killer and would not hesitate to let her disappear if he thought she was of no use to the Alliance anymore. Luckily, that was not the case, yet.

"I don't think so, sir" she answered truthfully. "We need one of the 452s, alive, so we can work with live DNA."

The whole council eyed her silently and for about half a minute nobody spoke a word until Kovacs nodded.

"Major Cullins, do you think you will be able to catch 452 if they step outside their rat hole and if they don't, are your forces capable to attack Fortress Delta and kidnap her?"

"In theory both is possible" Cullins replied with hesitation, "but I strongly recommend you not to attack the fortress. It is heavily armed and has a large and experienced guard. Our chances to actually get in there, find one of the 452s and get out again are not zero, but extremely low. And it would cost us most of our military strength."

"Very well, capturing one of the 452s alive is of the utmost importance. We will wait" Kovacs decided after having shared a few words with his fellow council members. "For now."

Renfro and Cullins shared a knowing glance, understanding very well what the General's last words meant.

* * *

"Damned" Max sighed when she and Alec returned from the showers and let herself fall onto her bed, not caring that was only wearing a towel. "I had forgotten how relentless he can be."

After the briefing Wolf and Kyla had informed them about Meyer's plans and their training and then the whole unit had been ordered to the gym where they had trained hand-to-hand combat for the last five hours. It wasn't really an officially needed skill for close quarter combat but they all knew how fast you could happen to end up struggling with an Alliance commando. Max agreed that the training was necessary but every muscle in her body seemed to hurt and she was pretty sure Blade had twisted her wrist a little bit too hard.

"Hey, he's your twin" Alec said with a smirk while putting a shirt on but he couldn't hide the tiredness in his voice either. "Runs in the family."

"Huh?" Max glared at him. "Are you saying I'm relentless?"

"Nah, you're not relentless. But you can be quite cruel, Maxie."

"If I wasn't so godsdamned tired I would get up and slap that grin out of your face, pretty boy!" Despite her words her voice was kind and she smiled quietly at him. Meyer and Lydecker had rather quickly agreed to give them their own room after it had become official – well, sort of at least – that they were together. Lydecker seemed to be a little bit more hesitant but Meyer approved their request immediately; somehow Max suspected he had a lot more experience in this matter than the former Manticore commander. However, she appreciated the privacy and was glad she and Alec now had a place where nobody could just interrupt them. After all, the door could be locked.

Suddenly, she yawned.

"Tired now, are we?" he asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes and slowly approached her.

"Well, perhaps not tired enough, yet" she admitted with a whimsical smile and tried to sit up but he was faster and held her down by her bare shoulders. A little bit more than a week ago she would have snapped at him to let her go, now she allowed it with a tiny smirk. Slowly Alec bent down until their faces were only inches apart. Max had her eyes almost closed and leant a little bit forward until their lips finally touched, kissing him carefully at first and then a little bit more demanding.

Alec lay down next to her while she held him around his waist. They finally broke the kiss and she smiled happily with her eyes still closed when he started to playfully tug at her towel. She felt slightly lightheaded and unusually comfortable and happy. With Alec it was different from everything she had ever felt when being with an ordinary. They seemed to feel exactly what the other needed and were more than happy to always oblige.

He was holding both of her wrists above her head now with one hand and gave her an amused smirk; he knew she wasn't be able to get away like that, not without using force, and she knew it, too. For the first time she was with somebody who was actually able to overpower her but surprisingly that didn't fluster her; it was like she had known him her entire life and she felt completely safe with him.

When his other hand slid down her body and his fingertips tenderly caressed the soft skin of her thigh she couldn't help and suddenly giggled and Alec grinned; he absolutely loved that sound and ever since he had found out during their second night together how ticklish she was he liked to remind her he knew.

"Stop it!" she laughed writhing under his hands and eventually he did.

"Are we a little bit sensitive there, Maxie?" he teased.

"Just wait, mister, you're gonna pay for that!" she threatened him in mock anger but couldn't keep up the serious expression for long before her face softened again. "I love you, you know that, right?"

There was a small hint of anxiety, almost uncertainty in her voice and Alec once again cringed at seeing her like that. Blade had been right; there was a lot Max still needed to learn about transgenics.

"Max, of course I do and I don't need you to bite me to know that" he said softly, letting go of her wrists and the slightly sarcastic humor at least earned him a quiet smile. "I love you, too, Max."

Her eyes warmed and they moved closer again but right before they kissed…

"Hey!" a loud voice interrupted them from right outside the door. "Mealtime, lovebirds! Don't make me come in there and remind you face-to-face that you have to eat before your nighttime activities!"

"I'm gonna kill her!" Max growled in frustration.

"Yeah, Blade has a terrible timing" Alec agreed, sighing. "But she's got a point, I'm starving."

"Me too" Max nodded. 'But that's no reason to interrupt us like that!' she silently added and unconsciously snarled. "Alright, alright, let's get up. Dammit!"

"What the heck are you two doing in there?" Blade's voice interrupted her thoughts once again.

"We're coming, alright? Just chill!" Max shouted at the door. "Don't give me another reason to kick your ass, Blade!"

A minute later she opened the door and glared at her broadly grinning friend. Out of the corner of her eye she notice Wolf was there, too, but she didn't have the nerves to deal with him as well so she chose to ignore him for the time being.

"Did I interrupt something?" Blade asked innocently.

"Don't even start" Max warned her in a low voice which only made the Asian X5 grin even broader.

"So I did. Entirely your fault; you two know 'make out time' is officially not before dinner." Blade smirked at her friends.

"Why's that?" Wolf wanted to know. That was a new rule.

"Because some of us have a pretty good sense of smell" Blade explained, "and…well, I don't need to get to know during dinner who has been busy, alright?"

Wolf just grinned in understanding and Alec sighed. The Asian woman was usually just as calm and composed as Kyla but recently – at least when it came to his relationship with Max – she was vivid as hell and he didn't know yet if he should like it or not.

"Just get moving!" he ordered her and after a last smirk Blade linked arms with a still grouchy Max and the two women started making their way towards the mess hall but the two men stayed behind.

"You know" Alec began after a while, "I'm aware we usually all eat together but I can't remember that any of us ever came to your quarters when you and Kyla decided to skip dinner."

"Perhaps you were afraid?" Wolf retorted quickly with the same quiet and knowing smile. Alec snorted and Wolf's smile grew a little bit wider. "I wanted to talk about the command of our unit."

"Just stop it, okay?" Alec interrupted him. "We've been over this. You are the CO, Kyla is 2IC and I'm the third in command and I never had a problem with that. It has always been like that and just because you two were gone for some time doesn't change anything. It has happened before and you're both back now, so come on, just tell me what you want from me! Using Blade as a distraction for Max is not very inventive, after all."

"Alright" Wolf sighed but remained silent for about half a minute after that, eyeing Alec attentively before he spoke again. "So, you and my little twin sister?"

"Yeah." Alec didn't know what else to say and Wolf just nodded. For a long time the two men looked at each other and although none of them spoke a word there seemed to be some sort of silent understanding between the two of them.

"Don't hurt her." Wolf's voice wasn't threatening; as a matter of fact it was absolutely calm and polite.

"Never!" Alec answered truthfully.

"Good." Max's brother nodded and smiled again. "Don't get me wrong, Alec, I think you two are good for each other. Just have to play big brother once in a while."

"Watch it, you're losing your edge" Alec taunted. "I have never seen that protective side of yours."

"You've never tried to get into my twin sister's pants before" Wolf replied with a dangerous smirk and for a second Alec wasn't sure if he'd gone too far but then Max's brother grinned again and he relaxed. "Come on, let's get something to eat, I know we've worn you out this afternoon."

* * *

"If this information is true" General Shepperd began seriously, "We are dealing with an attack on international scale, I hope you all recognize that, gentlemen."

"Well, that's was this meeting is about, Elizabeth" Meyer retorted, sounding tired. They had been going over the Alliance and discussing possible countermeasures for hours and the four SRTU commanders together with Lydecker were all looking a little bit exhausted but not one bit less grim than at the beginning of the meeting. To say the commanders from Germany, France and Britain had been shocked at first would have been the understatement of the century; they still had a hard time to accept that an organization as big, complex and dangerous as the Alliance had been able to develop without any of their nations noticing but it was a fact. A very worrying fact but a fact nonetheless.

"What are you suggesting, Chris?" Korten wanted to know, his German accent unusually thick.

"Attack and destroy" was the Swiss officer's simple answer. "This organization isn't just a threat to the SRTU but to our nations as well; they've chosen to make a part of our military their primary target which by definition makes them enemies of our countries. At the moment we have a serious tactical advantage; we know who they are and where they are located and we must use this intel as fast as possible."

"How do you know that information is accurate?" That was Colonel Galland from the French SRTU.

"We have already dispatched units of the AAD 10 to several locations and their reports confirm what we already told you." The AAD 10 – or Armee-Aufklärungsdetachement 10 _(Reconnaissance Detachment of the Army 10)_ – was a Swiss military unit. They were ordinaries but they were good, most of all when it came to gathering information in enemy territory.

"Why not let the law enforcement handle this?" Shepperd wanted to know.

"Because they won't know what they're looking at and we can't risk letting the Alliance getting away. And I don't trust the United States to handle this without anything getting out too soon. If just one of their leaders escapes we will never know where they're gonna strike next." He gave Lydecker an apologetic glance. "No offense, Deck."

"None taken" Lydecker shrugged. "It's the right choice. Our law enforcement agencies are not as reliable as they used to be."

"That brings me to another point" Korten spoke up. "What do you have in mind for their American bases and most of all for their headquarters and the Manticore facility in Wyoming?"

"We must, of course, neutralize that threat as well" Meyer agreed. "We haven't decided how, yet, but the Manticore unit two possesses insider information about that facility and we are sure we will be able to seize control of that base. Without further casualties amongst the X-series, by the way. They are not the enemy and I will not allow you to just bomb them to hell, if that's what you're thinking about, General."

General Shepperd had at least the decency to look a little bit embarrassed; that was exactly what she'd been thinking.

"And where are you standing in this, Colonel Lydecker?" Korten continued. "You and the other American soldiers?"

"As far as I am concerned" Lydecker began slowly, carefully choosing every word, "the X5 unit and the other soldiers in question including myself are under the command of the Swiss SRTU. I'm very aware of the fact that we're not really a part of their chain of command and I can assure you we will leave as soon as somebody tries to betray us, but as long as we can trust the SRTU we will follow their command."

The three guests considered his words and Meyer gave Lydecker a wry smile which the old Colonel accepted with a nod; they both knew the Swiss SRTU would never betray unit two, but they understood the other commanders were just being cautious and perhaps a little bit suspicious as well.

"You understand that we have to take this to our superiors" Galland finally reminded them. "The four SRTUs have hardly been working with each other since the war so our bosses are gonna be suspicious. And even if they approve; that's gonna be one of the most difficult operations in the history of modern warfare. We are talking about a simultaneous worldwide attack and most of their bases are on foreign soil. It's a strategic nightmare!"

"We are aware of that, Colonel" Lydecker nodded. "We wouldn't have come to you if the situation was not so dangerous, believe me. We'll need several weeks, maybe even months, to plan our attack and coordinate and deploy our forces so you should have enough time to consider all legal matters. We took the liberty to check your superiors and luckily the Alliance does not have an operative in your chains of command. Nevertheless, time is imperative. The longer we wait the greater the danger of something getting out."

"I agree" Korten nodded, then looked from one to another. "I don't think there's anything else we can do for now. I will need a copy of this intel and then I need to get back to Berlin and present our cause to my superiors. Personally I agree with your plan, but this is not up to me."

"Same here" Galland agreed and Shepperd nodded silently.

Meyer stood up and the others followed his example.

"In that case" the commander of Fortress Delta said, "you will be escorted back to the airport. Thank you for coming here today and I hope we will meet again shortly."

"So" Galland suddenly said, looking at Meyer with an odd smile. "Back to war then, huh?"

"It's about time, old friend" the Swiss SRTU commander replied and suddenly the five seasoned officers all had the same shark-like smirk on their faces. Although this operation had yet to be approved, somehow they all knew the Alliance would – very soon – face the combined forces of the most deadly military units in the world.

The SRTU was going to war once again.

* * *

**Alright, that's it for the moment.**

**Don't expect the big battle to take place in the next chapter already, but as you can see, we're getting there.**

**Well, tell me, what you think, please!**


	24. Winter Contingency

**So, last chapter before the major battle is gonna take place. Once again I would like to thank all of my readers and most of all my reviewers! Over 100 reviews now, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! I know, I know, it took me some time again but this is a long chapter and I finally wanted to get the payback started so I had to finish with all the planning and deploying forces first which I finally did. Next chapter is gonna be the attack.**

**cappsy**: Thanks for the review! The mating will not be a primary topic for the next chapters but I won't forget about it. You'll see. I haven't decided yet how far I will take this thing about the anomaly but you will know before this story is finished as well. And well, an eternity ago I promised I would get Logan together with somebody, didn't I? Glad you liked it!

**Jasper's Imaginary Friend**: Thanks to you, too! Well, I'm really glad you like it. As I said, it is not my native language so it is a major encouragement if somebody tells me I'm doing well.

**452max**: Okay, I haven't updated that soon but it is a long one this time. I hope you're gonna like this one, too. As I said, the last relatively quiet chapter before the will finally kick some Alliance ass. Thank you very much!

**Yeldi**: Thank you for your review and you're certainly not late! I'm glad you liked the explanations and I intend to get back to the claims later. Who is gonna claim each other…sorry, you're gonna have to keep reading if you want to find out *gg* Ah, two chapters too early! I'm always glad when reviewers remind me of things I forgot but I really, really, really didn't forget about Ares name. I've planned to give you that piece of information ever since his name was first mentioned. But thanks anyway, you're a very attentive reader! You're gonna learn about that in the next chapter. And do you mean we don't know yet about the names of Max's old unit, of the ones who deserted? And yes, you're right, I made the Max/Alec part a little bit too short, sorry. There's gonna be a little scene with them which hopefully explains enough about how they finally got together. If not: Don't hesitate to give me a little kick into the right direction! Mais désolé, pas de français dans ce chapitre. Par contre, je peux te promettre qu'il y aura une petite scène avec les SRTU de la France dans le prochain chapitre! Thanks a lot once again!

**Divine Fighter**: You might have mentioned it before *lol* but I love hearing it nevertheless! Yeah, I think those two could really act like this in public if they ever admit their feelings and Blade…I just like her being like that. Thanks a lot to you, too!

* * *

They trained, they ate and they slept. That was it. For over a month the transgenics – Deltas and X5s alike –prepared for the battle at hand. The platoon leaders were being harsh to their soldiers but nobody complained as they all knew this would not be fight like the ones they were used to; against ordinary soldiers who were almost always surprised by their superhuman abilities and taken down relatively easy. The Alliance knew what they were capable of and had demonstrated that they were ready to face more than one platoon of genetically enhanced soldiers. Lydecker could see in the eyes of the transgenics in the room – unit two, Ares and the squad leaders of platoon one – that they all remembered those facts as well. Nevertheless, he had also seen how they all tensed up when Meyer informed them about their target.

The SRTU commanders had finally gotten the green light from their superiors two days ago and over another videoconference they had spent the last sixteen hours to plan and coordinate their forces. It really was a strategic nightmare, just like Colonel Galland had predicted, but it slowly looked like they were getting the whole puzzle together.

The Germans were going to take care of the bases in Europe and the one in Russia. The British were going to Africa and Australia and the French, who had the largest contingent of transgenic soldiers, were going to take care of the bases in South-America and Asia; lucky for them most of those were rather small hideouts and not very numerous, so there were enough French transgenics left to attack and destroy the Alliance headquarters near Washington DC.

Nevertheless, there were not enough transgenic soldiers to execute this whole operation alone; they would be the primary element of attack, yes, but they were supported by large contingents of ordinary soldiers: British Royal Marine Commandos, German "Gebirgsjäger", the Swiss AAD 10 and the 2. REP – the paratrooper regiment of the French Foreign Legion – were going to establish the necessary perimeters and gather intelligence before the attack itself had even begun.

The Swiss SRTU together with unit two, however, were going after the big fish: Gilette, Wyoming. The Manticore headquarters and home of the X-series. While the military presence of the Alliance on site was not their biggest problem, the fact that Renfro was in charge of the whole facility and so of every Manticore transgenic was. If they failed all Renfro had to do was order the X-series to execute a counter-attack against Fortress Delta or any other target and the result – while not absolutely clear on a tactical level – would be a bloodbath in a fight between transgenics. The X-series back at Manticore were just soldiers obeying their orders; they were not their enemies but they would have to fight them and kill them nevertheless.

They could absolutely not let that happen!

To avoid such a nightmare a strike team consisting of Wolf, Kyla, Blade and Ares would enter the compound before the attack began, find Agent Sandoval and hopefully make it to Renfro's office undetected. From there Sandoval could order all X-series including the X7s on guard duty back to their quarters and remotely lock them down. There was still a possibility that some of them would try to get out and fight once the battle against the Alliance commando's on site began but there was a much higher chance that they would be able to spare their lives.

In addition, Kara would be on the strike team as well. As an X7 she was able to communicate with her siblings through their hive mind, although "communication" wasn't really the correct expression. They couldn't really talk to each other; they rather sensed each other's condition, if one of their unit was in pain or under stress. Wolf hoped that should they run into an X7 – which was possible, considering their usual habit of guarding and protecting the whole installation even against orders – Kara would be able to calm and reassure them without a fight. Of course his plan had almost caused a revolt amongst the X5s, most of all Max and Jondy, but together with his fellow combat models and Lydecker's sharp authority they had finally convinced the others that it was the right thing to do. Nevertheless Max continued to glare at him whenever the topic came up.

And there was another problem: Once word of their attack reached Washington the army would do everything to get Manticore back under their control which meant attacking them with everything they had. Because of this Lydecker would go to Washington in an attempt to stop the Pentagon from bombing them all back to the Stone Age although he knew himself there was no guarantee he wasn't going to be arrested on sight. He was taking precautions, of course, and could only hope McGinnis was up to his game this time; otherwise his X5s and their Swiss allies – Deltas and the AAD 10 alike – were in for a very long and very hard ride. But hopefully he would be able to convince his superiors to sit back a few minutes and have a look at the evidence they had gathered. Nevertheless, his kids didn't agree with his plan.

"I still don't like it" growled Artemis when they entered the armory after the briefing. It was time to prepare their equipment and the rest of their unit was already there. "We don't know if McGinnis will be able to convince his bosses, hell, we don't even know if he's really on our side!"

"We don't know that about Sandoval either" Kyla reminded her and Blade snorted humorlessly.

"Right, but I can threaten that one with a slow and painful death face-to-face if he thinks about betraying us." They hadn't contacted neither McGinnis nor Sandoval yet and were not going to do so until the very last moment.

"Stop arguing already, it gives me headaches!" Wolf growled tiredly. "We've been over this and it's decided."

They started to gather their arms and equipment, preparing and carefully testing every last piece of it under the watchful eyes of the Sergeant-Major of the armory. The poor man felt like having been thrown back in time ten years; just like their younger counterparts the Deltas at that age had been notoriously messing up with his equipment, "borrowing" weapons out of sheer boredom and curiousness or just because they didn't know better. And now, of course, with the Echos and Kara in Fortress Delta he had to watch everything with the eyes of a hawk as they were doing the very same thing again. Ares grinned and gave him an amused smile and an encouraging nod. The man just sighed and went back to his table.

"Any word on our timetable?" Carol wanted to know. The blond Delta had entered the room and quickly made her way to where Ares was disassembling his assault rifle. She would be in charge of platoon one again as he was with the strike team, but this time it was official. After having discussed the matter with Meyer Ares had been able to convince his CO that Delta-28 had led the platoon often enough now and was ready for her own command. The next day she had been promoted to lieutenant, a fact which still made her eyes light up with pride and gratefulness towards her older brother.

"Nope, but my best guess is 48 to 72 hours before we have to deploy" Jace shrugged. "Meyer's order still stands: Prepare everything and be ready to move out."

"The AAD 10 is already on site?" Brin wanted to know and Carol nodded.

"Yes, they are. They contacted us an hour ago. They have established a base of operations and are deploying spotters as we speak."

"Who's the CO?" Ares asked her with a wry glance and the blond Delta grinned.

"Daniel."

"Aw, crap!" was all the male Delta answered to that, causing the others to stop their work for a moment.

"You know him?" Max looked at him curiously. Why would he think having a man he knew being in charge of the AAD was a bad thing?

"Major Daniel Linder" Ares sighed. "He was one of our trainers when we were children. After the war in '14 he joined the AAD fulltime and is now their tactical commander."

"And from what I've heard he is still pissed about you using his name as your cover in public" Carol added with a mean grin.

"Only his last name" the male Delta muttered before looking at the X5s again. "We have a history, alright?"

The Manticore transgenics grinned at his apparent display of discomfort, most of all Blade. She made a mental note to ask him later what exactly that history was.

"Where's the small one?" Carol suddenly wanted to know, her eyes searching for Kara but the X7 was not to be found in the room.

"Still sleeping" Max informed her, glaring pointedly at her twin brother, "because somebody thought it would be a good idea to roughen her up a little bit one last time."

At this most of her siblings suddenly started to work again while Blade and Kyla rolled their eyes in annoyance. This argument was really getting old!

"Don't even start, Max" Wolf said, not even sounding interested anymore. She hadn't missed a single occasion to tell him what she thought of his plan ever since he had mentioned it and until the last training session when he and Blade had tested Kara's fighting skills, making sure she could defend herself against a stronger opponent if necessary, things had gotten worse. Since then Max usually kept quiet about it, except for the occasional quip like just now.

* * *

_Kara eyed her opponent with a mask of grim determination, her fists were raised and her whole body tense. She was exhausted, her training clothes were already damp with her sweat and her heart was racing. He, on the other hand, seemed perfectly comfortable. He was standing there completely at ease and relaxed, watching her with an impassive face and waiting for her to make the first move. She didn't disappoint him._

_Without warning she charged at him at the top of her speed and lashed out, aiming at his midsection. He simply sidestepped her attack and almost playfully hit her on the back of her head. Although, playfully in their terms still meant that it hurt and she stumbled forward and almost lost her balance._

"_That all you got?" Wolf asked his face still without any emotion but his voice taunting. She growled in reply and charged again. They exchanged a few kicks and blows but although she was an X7 and thus designed to be faster than her older X5 siblings she just couldn't get close enough to him to actually score a hit; he was just too big, too strong and still too fast. Eventually her luck run out and he blocked one of her punches and kicked her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying through the air until she made contact with the hard floor again. She remained there, effectively incapacitated for a few seconds and gasping for air._

"_Something interesting down there?" he asked smugly and for the first time he sported a very nasty grin. Kara growled, not as angrily as before but more warningly, and slowly got to her feet again._

"_Don't lose control." Blade decided to interrupt the two of them for a few seconds. Kara was good, incredibly good for one so young, but she still had a lot to learn. Most of all things which didn't come from training but from experience. "I told you to let your instincts take over, not to lose control over your actions and your feelings."_

_Inwardly the Asian X5 cringed when she remembered how she had told Max the very same words when they had been in training back at Manticore; it seemed like a lifetime ago._

"_He's just too big!" the young X7 protested._

"_Do you want to be a part of the strike team or not?" Blade asked sternly and after a few seconds of rebellious glaring the young girl nodded firmly. "Then listen to what I'm telling you. Height, weight and physical strength are not everything. You are smaller but more agile, weaker but faster. Use what you have and don't try to meet him on his terms. That's a fight you're certainly gonna lose. Understood?"_

"_Yes, ma'am!"_

"_Good. Again!"_

_Kara got into her fighting stance and approached Wolf slowly, looking for a weakness in his defense or a sign of his next attack. She didn't see an opportunity to strike but at least the smug look was gone, replaced by a serious mask of concentration and his hands were up this time. When they finally engaged in their fierce training fight again the young X7 was more patient, more cautious. Twice she let slip an opportunity to hit him and noticed that it had been a good idea as she wouldn't even have gotten close but run right into one of his traps. The fight lasted longer and was more intense and for the first time this morning she was able to hold her ground – barely, but she was holding._

_But nevertheless, eventually his experience and greater physical strength ended this fight as well; she blocked one of his kicks and stumbled back from the terrible force of his attack and the blink of an eye later she was too disoriented and too slow to see his next punch coming right at her face. At the last moment he opened his hand and instead of striking her with his fist he slapped her with his open palm, sending her tumbling to the floor._

'_Get back on your feet!' she was frantically telling herself. Lying on the ground made you vulnerable, weak, unable to defend yourself, it got you killed! 'Get back on your feet! Dammit, Kara, get up!'_

_She almost managed to stand up but suddenly her vision blackened and she moaned in pain and all of a sudden she felt sick. There was no strength in her arms anymore and she slipped and fell back onto her stomach with a weak yelp. An angry and frustrated sound escaped her throat as she gritted her teeth and tried again – Gods, she was trying so hard! – but her head was spinning and she just couldn't…_

"_Stay down" a dark but gentle voice said – his voice, but not taunting or threatening anymore but rather concerned. "Easy, Kara. Damned, I didn't mean to hit her that hard!"_

_She felt hands on her, carefully turning her over so she was lying on her back now. The blurry faces of both Wolf and Blade came into view, both with worried but kind expressions._

"_Are you alright?" Blade wanted to know. "Look at me!"_

"_Yeah, I think so." Her cheek still stung like hell but her head was getting better. But her eyes, why weren't her eyes getting any better, she asked herself when she realized they were filled with tears. Ashamed she hastily tried to wipe them away but Blade stopped her._

"_Relax" the Asian X5 tried to calm her. "It's just a physical reaction, nothing you can do about it. Trust me, we both know."_

_Uncertain Kara looked at her older twin brother and to her relief she saw a small nod and a barely noticeable smile._

"_Blade is right, you know" he agreed with his X5 sibling. "Getting slapped in the face provokes that."_

"_How do you know?" Kara asked before she could stop herself. "Another unfriendly encounter with Kyla?"_

_For a brief moment both X5s were so stunned none of them said a word and then Blade burst into laughter so loud it surely could be heard even outside the gym and while Wolf was still looking at her in disbelief he couldn't hide a small smile himself._

"_You sure are like Max" he said after a while. "Not even Alec would shoot his mouth off like this after such a session."_

"_Can't help it, runs in the family" the young girl grinned sheepishly, glad the older transgenics were taking her slip-up with humor. Wolf shook his head with a grin and helped her back to her feet._

"_Your lip is split" he stated matter-of-factly. Kara licked over her lower lip and flinched at the unexpected pain; she hadn't even noticed. "Let Corporal Hayden have a look at this, I think we're done here."_

_He looked at Blade who had calmed down again and nodded at his unspoken question; they had seen enough._

"_Am I in?" Kara wanted to know. This whole training session couldn't have been for nothing! She had fought against Wolf and Blade, dammit, two of the most well-known hand-to-hand fighters of all X-series! She had given everything she had and she had trained hard. "I know I've lost every fight today but I did what I could, really!"_

_The two X5s exchanged a long glance until Blade spoke up, completely serious again._

"_You've improved, Kara" the Asian transgenic said calmly. "We knew you would never stand a chance against one of us and that wasn't what we were looking for either. We wanted to know if you'd be able to defend yourself against an Alliance commando or another X5 long enough for one of us to come to your aid or to find a way to retreat and I believe you are capable of doing so. But that's no promise; the Colonel will have to decide in this matter, alright?"_

"_Understood" Kara nodded but she was beaming with joy and pride._

"_Kara?" All of a sudden Wolf sounded completely serious again. "You know what we were doing was just training, right?"_

_She looked at him a little bit confused until she noticed the tiny spark of incertitude in his eyes. Yes, her cheek still hurt and so did the rest of her body and having him taunting her and mocking her abilities had not been a very nice experience but she knew he would never do anything to really hurt her. It was what he thought was necessary and best for her and even with her limited experience she had to agree with him._

"_Of course I do, Wolf" she answered truthfully and with a seriousness that betrayed her childlike features. "And I understand. Don't worry."_

_He nodded, his relief barely showing but showing nevertheless. "Alright, go see Hayden about that lip of yours."_

_She nodded with an almost happy smile and after a last glance towards her older siblings left the gym to search for the Corporal; that split lip really started to hurt. The two X5s watched her leave and after a while Wolf suddenly sighed._

"_Were we like that as well at her age?" he asked her with a melancholic smile._

"_Not on the outside but do you remember the nights in the barracks?" It was a rhetorical question, Blade knew that. "We were definitely like her back then and somehow – luckily – I think we still are; a unit, a family. A pack. I know you don't like putting her in danger anymore than the rest of us, Max included, but it is the right decision."_

"_I know, I know" he sighed again. "I just hope we'll be able to look out for her."_

"_We will be." Blade watched him with a proud smile; always the leader, always worrying about everybody and everything. It had to be very tiring but then again that was what fascinated her about him. Out of instinct she briefly rubbed her body against his side, an old gesture they had used during their childhood when words were not permitted. He looked at her in surprise at the sudden display of sisterly trust and comfort but then nodded and seemed to relax with a small grin which she returned. "Come on, let's get out of here, I need a shower."_

_When they left the gym they suddenly got aware of a scowling Max waiting for them just outside._

"_Was that necessary?" She didn't need to specify her question._

"_Yes, it was" Wolf answered truthfully. He was tired of these arguments but he could see her point as well._

"_Beating her up won't help, Wolf" Max snarled and he tensed up and slightly bared his teeth. He could accept a lot from her but insubordination or even a challenge? Certainly not! Fortunately Blade was quick enough to intervene._

"_Wolf, go!" she ordered sternly. "And you, Max, come with me!"_

"_You are not going to do this!" Max insisted, still looking pointedly at her twin brother. Wolf closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to stay calm._

"_And you are not gonna say another word right now, Max!" Blade growled. "Wolf, get out of here, I think there are some things I have to discuss with this stubborn little X5."_

_Max opened her mouth to protest but a single glare from Blade told her she would better not; her friend usually knew what was best for all of them so she reluctantly nodded and remained silent. Wolf gave Blade a grateful nod and shot Max a brief glance, both of annoyance and understanding, before he turned away and started to make his way to their quarters._

"_Well, well, well" Blade mused, eyeing Max with what could only be described a cat-like grin. Not amused – certainly not – but not angry either. Rather considering if this mouse was worthy of her time._

"_Stop looking at me like that, alright?" she warned her friend but the Asian transgenic just laughed._

"_Sorry, I was just thinking about where to start because apparently you forget a lot of things as soon as the topic 'Kara' comes up. Come on, you troublemaker, I'm gonna explain a few things to you concerning your brother and your little twin sister. Not that you shouldn't already know, but a little refresher never hurts. And while we're at it you can fill me in on your and Alec's night practices."_

"_That's so not gonna happen!" Max growled. "You're gross, you know that?"_

"_Ah, that's the spirit" Blade laughed while they were walking away from the gym. "Now, first of all things, Max…"_

* * *

That had been a week ago and Wolf still didn't know what Blade had told his sister but whatever it had been he was grateful for it. Max still didn't like the plan but at least she wasn't opposing him twice a day and trying to discuss the matter whenever they met. That didn't mean, however, she didn't talk about it anymore at all. Luckily this time she just shook her head and went back to preparing her own weapon.

* * *

Twenty-four hours later their equipment was completely prepared, their backpacks and tactical vests were ready and every transgenic in Fortress Delta was waiting for the order to deploy and trying to kill some time one way or the other. Most of them were in the gym or the mess, some were hanging around in the rec rooms and a few were sitting quietly in their quarters. Max was one of them.

She was lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling, her thoughts focused on the mission that was about to happen. She wasn't afraid but she was feeling fidgety. She knew they were ready, everything and everybody was; that wasn't the problem. She knew the plan by heart and every escape route and eventuality they had thought of was imprinted in her head but still she was feeling uneasy, nervous almost. They were going to fight the Alliance and not just a small part of it but the whole organization. It was dangerous, really dangerous even for them and what bothered her most was that they were sending in Wolf and Kara with the strike team, right into the lion's den.

The door was opened and Alec entered the room. She sat up and gave him a small and welcoming smile. Who would have thought that she would ever end up with Alec? Of course, they had liked each other from the beginning but as comrades and fellow X5s and there had been more than one occasion where she had wanted to slap him just because of that cocky grin of his. Over the months, however, she had discovered another side of him, the serious and concerned Alec who was the third in command of unit two and who cared about his siblings just as much as Wolf and Kyla did, just in other ways. He had shown her that he wasn't always a teasing and mocking but often also a comforting fellow soldier. She didn't know when exactly she had started to develop feelings for him which weren't exactly those of a sister and if he hadn't cornered her that night in the rec room they would probably still be dancing around each other. At first his reactions – and even more her own – had almost frightened her and she had tried to keep some distance between the two of them but surprisingly he had let her do whatever she wanted and not once tried to talk her into something she wasn't ready for. After a few days they had started to talk about 'it' and his genuine interest for her and for her feelings had not only surprised but also reassured her in a strange way. Eventually they had ended up kissing but nothing more and he didn't press her. She started to trust him even more and on a different level than before and from there it had only been a matter of time until she finally admitted to herself what she was feeling for him. In the end it had been Blade – what a surprise – who told her to get it over with and finally tell him what was going on in her head and most of all in her heart. He had looked at her a long time with an honest smile and there had been a spark of happiness she had never seen before in his eyes. When he had kissed her that night she had known she was doomed but for the first time in her life she was ready to accept that fate with open arms.

Ever since then they had been together – getting their own quarters helped as well, of course – and she couldn't remember a time when she had felt so safe and content than when they were lying in each other's arms and she was listening to his calm and shallow breathing once he had fallen asleep. Yeah, life was good, at least that particular part of it.

"Hey!" she greeted him.

"Hey yourself, Maxie" he said and smiled genuinely. "Still here?"

"Yeah, I don't need too much company right now, got some things on my mind."

"I'm hurt! Are you saying you're kicking me out?"

"Nah, I'll make an exception" she grinned. "Just this once."

"Guess I got lucky then." He bent down and kissed her before he turned away and took off his shirt, carelessly tossing it in his locker. Max couldn't help but admire his muscular body, slender but strong. Without turning around he suddenly asked: "Like what you see?"

Max felt like a little kid caught with her hand still in the cookie jar and blushed slightly; how could he have noticed? There was no mirror in the room. When she didn't answer Alec turned around and suddenly started laughing.

"What?" she snapped but he just couldn't stop and continued to laugh even harder.

"You should…should have seen…that look on…on your face!" he gasped and calmed down a little bit. "Priceless!"

"How did you notice?" she demanded to know and suddenly there was that cocky 494-grin again and he shook his head.

"Who said I did?" For a second Max was speechless until she understood.

"You guessed?" He just nodded with that smug grin of his still not gone and suddenly Max jumped at him, tackling him to the ground. They playfully wrestled for a few seconds but Alec, laughing again at her mock anger, wasn't really concentrating and they ended up with him lying on his back and Max on top of him. She tried to keep her angry face on she but was failing miserably, a betraying grin tucking at her lips now.

"You know that you are beautiful when you're angry?" he tried to reason with her.

"Don't change the topic" she growled but it wasn't threatening; there was an affectionate note in the sound. Not that an ordinary would have been able to tell the difference but he was. "And don't embarrass me like that again, mister!"

"Is it my fault you're feeling embarrassed because you were looking at my Adonis-like body?"

"Still full of yourself, I see." She always enjoyed their playful banters; Alec was still the same smartass he had been the very first day but when they were alone she often got to see the open-hearted and honest Alec and she really liked that. She teasingly caressed his bare chest with her fingertips and chuckled when she felt him shiver.

"Teasing me is not the best idea, Maxie" he playfully reminded her. "Who knows when we're gonna be able to have some privacy again?"

His words caused her to suddenly tense and he frowned.

"What is it?" he wanted to know.

"Nothing. Nothing, sorry." She stood up and he followed suit.

"Come on, Max, talk to me."

"No, it's silly. Forget it." She turned away.

"I like to laugh once in a while" he said seriously and embraced her from behind. "What is it? Are you still angry about Wolf's plan?"

"No, I'm not." She sighed. "I'm just worried about Kara and about him, too. What if they encounter Renfro and he loses control? He has every reason to kill her."

"And I'm sure he would do so without blinking if Lydecker had not specifically told us we needed her alive. He is an experienced soldier, Max, he won't do it. He certainly wants to but he's not gonna kill her."

"I hope so." She sighed deeply. Alec smiled in sympathy; he knew it was difficult for her – hell, it was for him as well – to send her siblings right into the heart of Renfro's empire. He took a step forward and pulled her into a tight hug; one thing he had learned about her was that she either hated or welcomed physical contact and fortunately she usually accepted it from him now. Almost immediately she relaxed a little bit and sighed again, but not frustrated or tense this time but more in resignation and careful acceptance of his comfort. After a while she leaned back and looked deeply into his eyes and when she spoke there was a hint of incertitude in her voice again, but it was already less audible than a few minutes ago. "Hold me?"

"I always will" he assured her before he kissed her softly. Slowly his hands slipped under her standard issue shirt and softly caressed her silky skin. The cat in her relaxed at his touch and without realizing it she began to purr after a few minutes. She didn't know why on earth she reacted like this to him and she didn't care either. She leaned against him and for once felt her worries leaving her. Alec's eyes were full of love as he watched her and he smiled when he sensed that she was finally able to let go, at least for the moment. "I always will, Maxie!"

* * *

_Twelve hours later – Fortress Delta – T minus 30 minutes_

Uncomfortable, that was the only word Max could think of to describe her current situation. They were sitting in their rec room but there was definitely not the tiniest bit of recreation there at the moment. Her whole unit was just sitting on the couches and chairs in full battle gear, weapons slung around their shoulders and their huge backpacks neatly piled next to the door. For three hours they had been waiting now, almost anxious and nervous in a strange way, waiting for the order to finally deploy. The transgenics kept close to each other, searching body contact wherever possible and exchanging asking and encouraging glances from time to time; almost nobody spoke. Havoc had an arm slung around Nova's shoulder, holding her close. Even Wolf and Kyla looked tenser than usually while they were quietly talking to Ares. The Delta transgenic was the most relaxed of all of them which didn't surprise Max very much; after all, he had experienced this before. War.

This wasn't just a mission, a simple attack or a search and destroy order. This was going to be a real war and there was a whole army on the move right now, something the Manticore transgenics had never encountered before. Sure, they had been sent to war-torn countries and had seen what people could do to each other but never before there had been deployed more than two units with the same mission and in the SRTU a single platoon consisted already of more soldiers than three standard Manticore units! The allied SRTU forces together with their ordinary support units were now moving towards their targets all around the world or already in position to attack, awaiting the order to unleash hell. All in all the combined transgenic and ordinary units reached almost the strength of three regiments, not counting the command staff of the four SRTU bases. Never before had so many transgenics been organized to execute one swift and lethal strike – as a matter of fact Max doubted a clandestine operation of this magnitude had ever been organized – and if only one of their elements failed they risked getting not only themselves and their comrades killed but most likely a large part of the transgenic kind as well.

Ares had finished his talk with Wolf and Kyla and sat down next to Blade. He slung his arm around her and pulled her closer and after a brief hesitation she sighed and relaxed a little bit.

"Easy" he whispered soothingly. "Worrying too much won't help."

"Easy for you to say, wise-ass" the Asian X5 growled, but there was no anger in her voice, she was just trying to mask her own incertitude. Nevertheless, her comment seemed to ease the tension a little bit and some of her brothers and sisters grinned quietly while Ares allowed himself a low chuckle. He knew exactly how they were feeling; it was the same feeling he had experienced in 2014 when they had been informed they would move out the next morning to stop the Russian invasion. Usually a team would be sent into isolation before a mission to be able to concentrate but the bigger the mission the more nervous you would get nevertheless; it was natural and not easy to control and he certainly didn't blame any of the X5s of being a little bit anxious right now. And most certainly not the X7. Kara – having been equipped with a battle gear the SRTU had especially designed for the Echo generation – was sitting next to Max and was leaning against her older sister's side. She didn't talk, didn't even move a muscle and her eyes were fixed onto some imaginary point on the floor. For her the situation had to be even more awkward, Ares realized; usually her older siblings were always confident and strong and seeing that even the X5s could become silent and uneasy was affecting the young girl.

"Hey, kid" the Swiss transgenic said calmly. "Everything alright?"

Kara looked up hastily, almost as if he had interrupted her and nodded briskly without saying a word, her lips pressed into a thin line. The fact that she remained silent was enough to tell them the young transgenic was more than just tense; usually she would snap every time somebody called her 'kid' but it seemed she didn't know what to say or didn't want to talk at all.

Max eyed her younger twin and sighed, exchanging a glance with Wolf which he returned with a slight sadness but determination. That girl was so not ready, she told herself again, but then again the decision had been made. She had finally come to terms that they were taking Kara with them and she accepted that she would be on the strike team. The girl really was their best option if they should run into X7s; that was what they all feared most, after all, that they would be forced to kill fellow X-soldiers. They were not their enemies but they would attack them nevertheless if they got the chance, defending their home and their units with everything they had.

"Come here" she said quietly and tried to pull Kara closer. To everyone's surprise the girl didn't resist but snuggled up as close to Max as she could and held the older woman around her waist. For a second Max was so surprised by the sudden display of acceptance she didn't know what to do until she understood; Kara had only been waiting for one of them to tell her – in words or actions – that she could rely on the X5s, that things were gonna be okay and she could let go of some of her anxiousness around them. She exchanged a brief glance with Jondy and her older sister smiled both at Max and Kara.

Max looked at Alec and squeezed his hand. He smiled reassuringly and nodded barely noticeably. There were no words needed but this simple sign of comfort and trust were enough to make Max feel more at ease all of a sudden as tiny bits and images of the previous night flashed through her head. She slowly started to smile herself. Things were gonna be okay, she told herself, they had to.

Suddenly the door opened and Lydecker entered the room, a determined but not angry look on his face. The transgenics jumped up and saluted briskly.

"At ease" the older man said calmly and then took his time to eye his kids intensely. Yes, they were tense, he could see as much, and slowly getting antsy. Sitting around and waiting for an order was the worst thing for a soldier and transgenics were no exception. But they were ready. "The order for deployment should be given soon. I will leave immediately after you took off from Dübendorf."

"Is there really nothing we can do to make you change your mind, sir?" Wolf asked. He knew the plan was already set in motion but he still didn't like it.

"No, there isn't and you know it." Lydecker couldn't help but smile at his stubbornness. "McGinnis will be notified shortly; it's decided."

"I don't trust him" the young transgenic almost growled.

"I do. It will work, don't worry. I will contact you as planned." Lydecker gave them all an encouraging nod. "Just remember to stick to the plan. Don't let your feral side and your desire to seek revenge cloud your judgement."

He was addressing all of them but his eyes were fixed on Wolf.

"Animals don't enjoy killing, Colonel" he answered calmly. "That's a human trait. So let's rather hope our human side won't get the better of us."

"I'm sure they won't" Lydecker agreed with a confident look in his eyes. "Be careful out there, all of you. And good hunting!"

"You be careful, too" Max said seriously and after a brief hesitation added: "Dad."

For a second Lydecker didn't know what to say. They had not talked about that topic very much during the last weeks and he certainly hadn't mentioned it in front of the other X5s but to his surprise they didn't look at Max in confusion but at him and in their eyes he could see a strange but intense and decided agreement with his daughter's words. They all agreed with her, he realized with a small feeling of surprise but also pride and suddenly he felt a lump in his throat and found it difficult to speak his next words. Damned, why was there just so little time? He decided he had to leave before his feelings got the better of him; it wouldn't do his kids any good if he showed how much their words and actions meant to him. He looked pointedly at Wolf with his lips firmly pressed together. "You take good care of them, right?"

"I will" the young X5 replied. "We'll wait for your message, sir!"

The former – and hopefully future again – Manticore commander hesitated for a few more seconds until he nodded one last time and then left the room quickly. Nobody said a word but they all knew what just had been said – in words or otherwise – would change their lives and of course they had noticed the Colonel's emotional turmoil. But it was true; somehow, slowly and without really realizing it at first Lydecker had become more to all of them than just their commanding officer and instructor. Max and Kyla had realized it first and the others had followed suit. He was their mentor, their trainer, the man who had been present the day they had been born and who had always been there. A hard and demanding but nevertheless a fair and in his own way a very caring man Lydecker had become a part of their lives and somehow even of their family. Letting him go back alone wasn't easy for any of them; they had always been there for him as well, protecting him if needed and helping when ordered. There would be a lot to talk about after this mission.

They sat down again and went back to their quiet but uneasy waiting mode but not for long this time. About ten minutes after Lydecker had left the stern voice of Colonel Meyer could be heard throughout the whole base and he spoke the words every transgenic in Fortress Delta had been waiting for.

"_All units, this is command. The enemy spotters have been neutralized, operation 'Winter Contingency' is a go. All units report to the main hangar in ten minutes. Message ends."_

In a matter of seconds Fortress Delta to burst to life. What had been a dozing giant only moments ago exploded into action as the platoon leaders rallied their soldiers, making sure they were all properly equipped and no weapon or equipment was left behind. Pouring out of their quarters and rec rooms, mixing with the pilots who were running towards the hangar as well there was more life and apparently hectic going on than Kara had ever seen. Quickly she and the rest of her siblings picked up their backpacks and followed Ares and Wolf out of the room and right into what appeared to be utter chaos. Orders were shouted, squad leaders rallied their soldiers around them and everywhere she looked she could see armed men and women with grim faces and the looks of utterly determined soldiers going to battle.

And that was when she realized something had changed. She looked up and her suspicions were confirmed; moments ago Max and the other X5s had appeared to be tense and nervous, waiting impatiently for something to happen. Now something had happened, they had finally received the order to deploy and all wariness had disappeared like a switch had been flipped. Unit two was looking just as grim and determined as the other transgenics around them and when Kara felt the strong and aggressive confidence coming from her older siblings she couldn't help but feeling some strange sort of excitement as well. The mass of transgenic soldiers moving towards the hangar was a sight to behold; that combined strength of bodies, weapons and determined minds was almost intoxicating, filling her with an eagerness to fight.

When they poured into the hangar Sergeant O'Neill and Corporal Hayden joined them and the four platoons and the Manticore unit aligned themselves into a perfect formation, waiting for Meyer's final order to get into the Cougar helicopters and leave the fortress. The old Colonel knew his soldiers were running out of patience and he had no intention to hold them back any longer.

"The first wave will consist of the X5s and platoon one" his words silenced the transgenics immediately. "The rest of the Airborne Transport Wing four is closing in as we speak, so the rest of you will not have to wait for very long. I wish you good luck and good hunting and I want you all back here alive after a mission well done. NEVER FORGET, DELTAS!"

"EHRE! DISZIPLIN! MISSION! _(honor, discipline, mission)_" the assembled Delta transgenics shouted at the top of their lungs, making the huge cavern echo with their credo.

"That's right!" Meyer shouted back, feeling like a young soldier again for once. "Now what are you waiting for? Get it done!"

On this command unit two and the first SRTU platoon ran towards the waiting helicopters while the pilots started warming up their engines and the other transgenics kept shouting encouraging battle cries. Once inside and strapped in Max had barely time to catch a last glimpse at their allies outside before the Cougar started his ascent towards the opening hangar roof and the black night sky. Once outside the pilot turned the helicopter around and towards their destination – a little bit more abruptly than absolutely necessary – and they quickly gained speed.

"Is he in a hurry?" she shouted over the noise towards Ares and he grinned broadly, baring his canines.

"Don't you feel it?" he shouted back. "We're going to war, Max!"

The other X5s grinned as well, aggressively and almost feral and Max couldn't help but join them. Yes, she felt it, too, the excitement of a hunt to come, the challenge at hand. She knew this feeling very well although she had long tried to forget it but amongst all of her siblings welcoming the challenge of their final battle with open arms and racing hearts she couldn't deny she was excited as well. For Ares and the other Deltas there was also something else: Retaliation. Revenge for the Swiss soldiers and the Echos killed during the last Alliance attack.

"One o'clock" the pilot announced. "That's Transport Wing four!"

They leaned closer to the windows and thanks to their enhanced eyesight could see at least a dozen more Cougars approaching Fortress Delta from the north; there was no turning back anymore now. The rest of their journey was spent in relative silence until they arrived at the military airport of Dübendorf and quickly boarded their plane, a civilian Learjet again. They couldn't afford the risk to use the airport of Geneva out of fear the Alliance might have some spotters there as well.

"We're airborne and on course" Ares informed them briefly after their takeoff. "The rest of our platoons should be right behind us, but we will most certainly be the first ones to jump. I suggest a last check one hour before we reach the drop zone."

"Agreed" Wolf replied simply and exchanged a brief look with Kyla to which she replied with a small and confident nod; until now everything was going according to plan.

"And what are we gonna do until then?" Kara asked.

"Well, I don't know about you, Shorty" Artemis said with a smirk, "but I'm gonna get some sleep!"

"Again?"

"You never know when you'll get to sleep the next time" Jace said.

A few minutes later they'd gotten comfortable and were watching the lights beneath them slowly getting smaller and their thoughts travelled back to the mission at hand and the hours to come.

"You know" Jondy said thoughtfully, breaking the silence. "I don't really get it. Why did Meyer give us this motivational speech if we're gonna spend hours in this plane before we're gonna see any action? Doesn't really make sense, does it?"

"Oh, for him it does" Ares chuckled. "It's his way of telling us not to screw up or if we don't want to get our butts kicked. Trust me, the Old Man knows what he's doing. And he just likes to shout at us once in a while."

"Sounds like somebody I know" Max agreed with thick sarcasm and they all snickered, knowing fully well she was talking about Lydecker. Suddenly she became very serious again. "Do you think he's gonna make it?"

"He will make it" Wolf said confidently although deep inside he was worried, too.

"He has to" Nova whispered quietly.

* * *

Back at Fortress Delta Lydecker watched the last Cougar leaving the base and then the hangar roof was closed again. After all the noise of the last minutes the huge cavern suddenly seemed too quiet.

"Well?" a voice suddenly spoke from behind. He turned around and was met with Logan's and Zane's inquiring eyes. The cyber-journalist had watched Max leave and although it had not even been half an hour since her helicopter had taken off he started feeling worried already.

"Well what? They just left, there's nothing new yet!" Lydecker retorted but after a moment regretted his harsh words and sighed. "Look, I know you want to help, but this is not your game anymore. Colonel Meyer is never gonna let you inside the command center, you have to accept that. As soon as there are any news you will be one of the first to know."

"Great! And what am I supposed to do in the meantime? This is ridiculous!"

"No, this is military, Cale, get used to it! Find yourself some distraction, go to the surface and watch the stars if you have to. Or use your downtime to spend some time with that federal agent of yours; I've heard she's getting bored again."

Of course Lydecker had noticed that Logan had been spending more and more time with Victoria Gibbs lately. Not that it bothered him; as a matter of fact the longer he thought about it the more he began to believe her when she said she had nothing to do with the Alliance. Apparently she had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, Logan did a good job at looking surprised and mildly irritated but after a moment seemed to accept his fate with a sigh.

"When will we be allowed to get out of here?" Zane finally spoke up. He had watched the older man quietly but although his voice was as calm as ever Lydecker could see the small signs of impatience and worry. "We've been promised we could go at any time we wanted to!"

"That was before you witnessed the preparations for this mission, Zane. As soon as this is over you are free to go wherever you want to."

"And you expect me to believe that?" was the '09ers sarcastic answer.

"I don't really care, but yes, you can believe that. And besides, you don't really want to go yet, not before Brin comes back."

"What are you talking about?"

Lydecker laughed, highly amused by Zane's attempt to hide his surprise.

"I've grown older, not dumber!" the former Manticore commander grinned and shook his head. Almost everybody had noticed the looks and small gestures Zane and Brin had been exchanging whenever they were thinking nobody would notice and from what he had heard the two of them had been paired together in '09. Why they had broken up after a few years he didn't know yet, though.

Zane eyed his former nemesis with a calm mask of sudden interest; maybe he really had changed. Or maybe not, but that didn't matter right now. Yes, Lydecker was right; he would wait until Brin and the others returned. He had even considered asking for a place on their team – only for this mission, of course – but Brin managed to talk him out of it. As much as he hated it he knew he was not in his top form; the life outside Manticore didn't give you enough spare time to stay at the top of your game; not that he usually wanted to be anyway. With a heavy heart he had finally agreed to stay at the fortress and promised Brin to wait but there was no way he would ever admit that in front of his former enemy.

"Colonel Lydecker, sir?" One of the ordinary guards who had taken over the duty of escorting their guests inside Fortress Delta approached the trio. "Colonel Meyer wants to inform you that stage one has been completed, sir."

"Thank you, corporal." The old Colonel nodded briskly, his face turning into a cold mask again. So, it was his turn now. "Zane, Mister Cale, you have to excuse me, I need to get ready as well."

He left the hangar and quickly made his way to the command center where Meyer was already waiting for him.

"You took your time" the base commander growled. The whole command center seemed tense and although there was not much talk yet Lydecker could feel the various officers and operators were on high alert, watching their monitors and listening to the radio traffic with their highest concentration.

"Well, I'm here now, Chris" he tried to ease his friend's worries a little bit but found out he was tense himself all of a sudden. They went over to Captain Sehler who was already waiting for them.

"Everything ready?" Meyer demanded to know and the Captain nodded.

"Yes, sir. Encryption is active and it is a secure line."

"Very well. Deck?"

Lydecker exchanged a long and hard glance with his old brother-in-arms before he picked up the phone and dialed a number he knew by heart. He didn't have to wait for very long.

"_McGinnis!"_

"This is Lydecker."

There was a short pause, then: _"Deck? What the hell…are you out of your damned mind calling this number?"_

"Relax, it's a secure line. I need you to do something for me."

"_I'm listening."_

"I need you to get me Eli's direct number. There's something I have to talk about with him."

* * *

_Eight hours later – forests near Gilette, Wyoming – United States of America_

"Platoons one to four have checked in and are on the move towards their positions; they should arrive there within the next fifteen minutes. My spotters are already in position and until now your intel has been confirmed." Major Daniel Linder of the AAD 10 pointed at the satellite pictures of the Manticore headquarters. He was a very serious and stern man in his late thirties with cropped short black hair and utterly calm but nevertheless strangely fierce green eyes. A scar went from the corner of his left eye down to his jawline, a souvenir from his numerous combat missions both in the war and during clandestine operations. Ares had told them he was one of the most experienced soldiers in the whole AAD 10 and just like Colonel Meyer he appeared to be a man who did not forgive mistakes easily but nevertheless also a leader who listened to his subordinates if the situation allowed it. As a matter of fact Kyla could imagine Wolf being something the like at that age. "The perimeter is mostly guarded by X7s and a few Alliance commandos. What is left of the Manticore black ops is located in these two barracks while the Alliance guys have their quarters here."

He pointed at the three buildings which had been constructed after unit two had left the compound. They were situated a little bit away from the rest of the base – perhaps to guarantee some sort of privacy – and had a wired fence around them.

"The entrance to their quarters is always guarded by at least three of them and they have dogs."

"That could become a problem" Kyla muttered. Dogs and transgenics usually didn't like each other very much thanks to the transgenics' feline DNA; if they tried to sneak up on the guards the dogs would most certainly notice them.

"If we manage to get close enough we can take them out without warning the others" Alec offered. "It is possible."

"What about the Manticore black ops, sir?" Sergeant O'Neill wanted to know. "Are some of them on guard duty as well?"

"Negative." Linder decisively shook his head. "As far as we could see they're in charge of training the X-series and guarding the facility during the day. By now they should all be in their barracks and asleep."

O'Neill and Hayden exchanged a satisfied glance; the plan was to drug their fellow soldiers and not to kill them if possible; it looked like that was gonna work after all.

"Very well, Major" Wolf finally spoke up. "I think it is time for my team to deploy."

"I agree." Linder nodded and signaled his men to get ready as well. "We will wait for your signal before we take out the remaining guards and after that I need you to maintain radio contact with me at all times. The Deltas will move in first with the AAD closely behind them. We will secure the barracks and the main buildings together with the platoons three and four while your unit together with the platoons one and two takes out the remaining Alliance forces. Be quick about it. I will coordinate the different units from here and I need to know when we can attack, understood?"

"Loud and clear, Major!"

"Delta-26?"

"Nothing to add, sir" Ares replied quickly.

"Very well, dismissed!" They saluted and turned to leave when Linder spoke up again with a rare and mean smile on his lips. "Oh, by the way, Ares: Don't even think I already forgot about our particular topic. We're gonna have a nice little chat once this is over, am I clear?"

The Swiss transgenic froze and pressed his lips together, knowing very well what his former instructor was talking about. "Crystal, sir!"

"Good. Now go!"

They left the tent and joined the others of unit two who were waiting just outside in the darkness and silence of the night.

"Is it possible you're afraid of him?" Kyla whispered teasingly.

"You have no idea" Ares answered just as quietly.

"Alright" Wolf addressed his siblings as they gathered around him. Even with his enhanced eyesight it was difficult for him to recognize them at first with their faces covered in dark green and black color again. "The strike team is moving out, the rest of you is to join platoon one. Await our signal and be careful out there, clear?"

"Keep close to them!" Max whispered to Kara and the young girl just nodded and nudged her in a last attempt to reassure her before the strike team left. Alec's team watched them disappear into the pitch blackness and all of them were wishing them luck either in whispered words or silent prayers.

"Gods of war and justice" Artemis murmured barely audible, her eyes fixed onto the point where her siblings had disappeared seconds ago. The others briefly glanced at her and nodded solemnly in agreement; they needed every help they could get now. "Hear our prayer…"

* * *

The strike team however didn't hear any of this anymore; the two AAD soldiers who would lead them to their infiltration point took point, Wolf and Ares followed and Kyla and Blade with Kara in between them brought up the rear. Until now everything had worked out just as they had planned it. After their infiltration with the Learjet and using parachutes once more to land they had already been awaited by a few men of the AAD at their drop zone and were quickly brought to the improvised command center of Major Linder. The ordinaries were good, Wolf had to give them that. He hadn't noticed them until the last second; they knew how to mask their scent, moved stealthily and almost without making a sound and the command tent and the sentinels around it were so well hidden and camouflaged he doubted even X5s would have been able to do better. If everything else went that well there wasn't much to worry about.

When the perimeter fence came into view the two ordinaries stopped and knelt down. One took off his night vision goggles and turned around to look at the transgenics.

"From here on you're on your own, Lieutenant" he told Ares. "Our spotters report that you have a time window of approximately three minutes. Good luck!"

"Same to you" the Delta whispered back and exchanged a brief glance with the X5s. As if on cue they started running towards the fence and leaped over it without hesitation. Blade and Kyla grabbed Kara by her shoulders and helped her as she still wasn't able to perform jumps as high as her older siblings and they all made it safely to the other side. Once on the ground the strike team darted towards the nearest cover and was soon lost from sight.

"Foxhole, Foxhole, this is Guide seven" the AAD soldier spoke into his radio. "The package has been delivered, I say again, the package has been delivered, over."

"_Roger that, Guide seven, standby"_ came the even reply from Major Linder. "_All units, all units, this is Foxhole: The package has been delivered, proceed to your attack positions, the hunt is about to begin, over and out._"

* * *

**Well, that's it for now. Now I have to decide whether the Alliance has spotted them or not. Honestly, I haven't done that yet, we'll see.**

**Alright, tell me what you think, please!**


	25. Warfare and Bloodlust

**cappsy**: Hey there and thanks again for your review, hope you could wait. I agree that in some kind of way Zack is still more Manticore than he would like to admit, and yes, he and the other '09ers will reappear again, although not in this chapter. Casualties? Hm, now that you mention it…sorry, you will have to read to find out (yes, I know I'm evil). And Kara and the X7s? Of course something will not go according to plan, you know me. Max will appear in this chapter, of course, and I plan to give her quite a lot of space in a future chapter but this one will be mainly focused on the battle, I hope you're gonna like it anyway. Well, read and enjoy.

**452max**: Thanks to you too. Of course not everything is gonna be fine, you should know me well enough by now *gg*

**Yeldi**: Of course I'm a sadist, haven't you noticed? *gg* no, I'm not that bad. I didn't compare Wolf and Max concerning their overprotectiveness, but you are right, they really are quite the same, thanks for mentioning that. Zane, Logan and Victoria will of course reappear again and your questions will be answered, but you will have to wait a little for that, sorry. And about the names of the '09ers: I am thinking about how to explain it, I think this could be actually quite interesting. In my first story Max explained how she got her name and I think I'm gonna do something the like about Zack and the others thanks for giving me this idea. Thanks a lot to you, too and I hope you're still out there.

**Jasper's Imaginary Friend:** Thank you for your review as well. Well, I've finally managed to update and I hope you're gonna like this one as well.

**Again thanks a lot to all of you and I hope you're gonna like this. It's a little bit dark at times but hey, it's rated T for a reason. Don't worry, it's not that bad. Read and enjoy!!**

* * *

Agent Sandoval was a rather paranoid man; no, scratch that, he was a very paranoid man. After many years working for several secret government organizations with their even more shadowy superiors he had learned being always on your toes could save your life and he hadn't let go of that attitude just because he was working in a desk job now. Every evening before he went to bed he checked the door twice and made sure his weapon was locked and loaded on the night table; maybe he was a pencil pusher now but that didn't mean he had forgotten how quickly a cozy night's sleep could turn into a fight for survival.

Nevertheless, when he woke up in the middle of the night all his instincts told him something was wrong and he reached for his gun it was – gone. His heart skipped a beat and then started racing and his eyes searched the room for an intruder.

"Relax, Agent Sandoval" a calm voice spoke out of the darkness. "If we were here to kill you would already be dead."

"451?" he gasped. For a brief moment utter silence filled the room before he heard a whisper of clothing and a dark figure appeared out of the shadows right in front of his bed.

"You have a good memory" Wolf spoke quietly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Finishing what we started. Get up, sir, we must hurry." The transgenic reached out and turned on the lights. The older man groaned and pressed his eyes shut at the sudden brightness. When he opened them again he was in for his second shock in less than a minute; there wasn't just 451. Next to the door was 301, eyeing him coldly and another man was standing in the far corner of the room. How did they manage to sneak up on him like this? They were wearing full combat gear and assault rifles and the looks in their eyes told him they were deadly serious about what they were doing here. Wolf gave him another impatient look and even though Sandoval wasn't fully awake yet and couldn't read their facial expressions as well as usually because of the camouflage color covering their faces he sensed they were not in their best mood. "Hurry up!"

The adrenalin finally kicked in and Sandoval jumped up and reached for his pants.

"What's your plan?" he asked as he put on his shirt. "You're not alone, are you?"

He noticed how 301 rolled her eyes at this; alright, it was a stupid question.

"And he is?" he nodded in Ares' direction.

"The gray eminence" the Delta replied coldly. Okay, an SRTU transgenic judging from his manners, Sandoval thought humorlessly.

"Where's Renfro?" Wolf wanted to know. "She's not in her quarters."

"Then she's most likely in her office" Sandoval replied and he could have sworn there was a hint of a smile on the transgenic's face when he said that. "What do you want me to do?"

"Meet us at the entrance of the main building. We'll wait for you there."

"Can I have my gun back?" At his the three soldiers smirked and Wolf shook his head.

"No."

"You don't trust me."

"No. Hurry up." With this the transgenics left and Sandoval shook his head with a sigh. What mess had he gotten himself into this time? At least the old bastard – Lydecker – could have given him a small warning, but no. Apparently he was not the only one being paranoid. He quickly finished dressing and went after them but when he stepped out onto the barely illuminated hallway they were already gone. Creepy.

Quickly but without too much hurry he left his quarters and made his way to the main building where the offices of the command staff were located. When he approached the entrance the guard – one of the new guys Renfro had brought with her – frowned.

"What's keeping you up this late, sir?" he asked curiously.

"I need to talk to the director. Is she still in her office?"

"I think so, she hasn't left yet."

"Very well, I…" Sandoval continued when all of a sudden something jumped at the guard out of nowhere; there was a flash of steel and before either one the two men could react the combat knife found its target. The guard made a gurgling sound when his throat was slit and tried to fight back but the shock and blood loss rendered him unconscious in a matter of second. The black clad figure yanked the knife out of the dead man and turned around to face Sandoval; it was X5-194, the Asian girl. Sandoval couldn't stop staring at her with wide eyes. He had seen X5s in action but only during exercises or on video footage. To actually see how lethal they were in reality was a little bit more than just disturbing. Silently the other transgenics arrived and he could see there was somebody else with the three X5s who had wakened him and his eyes grew even bigger; what was the X7 doing here?

"Don't talk" Wolf silenced his unspoken question. "We'll have time for that later. Open the door! Blade, get the body inside!"

Like in trance Sandoval entered the code and the door was unlocked. One after the other the transgenics slipped inside and Kyla shoved the older man after them as well.

"We need to get to Renfro's office" Wolf whispered quietly.

"Are you going to kill her?"

"Unfortunately no. Let's move!" Quickly and silently their made their way through the seemingly abandoned hallways until they arrived at their destination, Lydecker's old office, now occupied by Elizabeth Renfro. The transgenics took position left and right to the door and finally Wolf nodded briskly at Sandoval. The older man took a deep breath and then knocked twice.

"What is it?" an unnerved voice answered and Wolf's scowl became even darker: It was her.

"Agent Sandoval, ma'am. There's something you need to see."

"Enter!"

He reached for the door handle but Kyla beat him to it. She opened the door and stormed into the room with her weapon ready to fire; they couldn't risk giving that witch the chance to sound an alarm no matter how valuable her information might become in the future. Fortunately Renfro was alone and although she jumped up as soon as she saw that it wasn't Sandoval paying her a late night visit Wolf was much too fast for her; he grabbed her by her collar and slammed her against the wall, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to gasp in unexpected pain.

"Hello, Director" he snarled, eyes flashing in anger and barely controlled hatred. It took her a second to recognize him but then her eyes widened first in disbelief and then in a rapidly growing mixture of fear, disgust and anger. She opened her mouth but he silenced her with a dark growl. It would be so easy. He could break her neck with a simple twist of his hands or crush her windpipe and watch her slowly succumb to death. Or even better he could use his knife; the thought of spilling her blood after all she had done to him was very appealing. But he had his orders. "One word and I will rip your throat out!"

Lucky for her she remained silent and he briefly looked at Kyla.

"All clear. Blade, close the door." The shorthaired woman said, then she looked at her mate and she could sense his emotional turmoil better than anybody else. She gave Renfro a glance and suddenly had the urge to spit out in disgust. "Wolf, let go of her. She isn't worth it.

He didn't move but kept staring at the blond woman and his grip tightened, causing her to twist in pain, when flashes of his reindoctrination started to appear in his mind: her taunting voice, her evilly grinning face hovering above him when he had been strapped to that cursed table and most of all her sadistic laughter. He growled again and bared his teeth at her; he had every right to kill her!

"See?" she gasped and even managed a mean grin. If it was out of sudden courage or just stubbornness born out of her fear he didn't know. "I told you: You're an animal, 451, nothing more."

He suddenly grew very calm again – at least on the outside – tilted his head a little bit to one side and seemed to ponder her words for a few moments before he slightly relaxed and smiled dangerously.

"And I'm proud of it!" he replied. He gave her a second to understand his words and when he saw her confusion he smashed his elbow in her face, breaking her nose and jaw at once, rendering her unconscious. Carelessly he let her limp body fall to the floor, not caring if she sustained even more serious injuries. "Tie her up, Blade."

"Are you alright?" Kara asked her older brother almost a little bit timidly. She knew how dangerous he could be but actually seeing him in such a rage was a different thing.

"I am now" answered briskly but much less angry. "Agent Sandoval, this is where you come in."

"What do you want me to do?" Wolf explained the plan and the older man suddenly had a small smile on his face. He opened a base-wide channel from Renfro's personal communications station and broadcasted to every active radio within range: "All units, this is Agent Sandoval. On order of the director all X-series are to report back to their quarters and await further instructions. The remaining personnel remain on their posts. Message ends."

After this the room was filled with an uncomfortable silence as they waited and hoped their fellow transgenics would obey their orders. Suddenly Kyla approached Sandoval and handed him his weapon which he took with a quizzical look on his face to which she replied with a small smirk: "Now we trust you."

"How did you know I wouldn't try and warn the guards on my way here?"

"We didn't" Ares replied with a nasty grin. "That's why I had you in my sights all the time."

* * *

Brigadier General James Thomas Tisnewsky – or JT for short – was sitting in his office in the Pentagon and going over the latest report he had received. The face of the J3 of the Special Operation Division was grim and from time to time he frowned and sighed, feeling more and more frustrated. Things weren't looking good for his country. A little bit over a year ago he had actually allowed himself the slight hope that they were finally starting to get over the last remainders of the chaos that damned Pulse had left them to deal with; the economy had showed signs of slow recuperation and their military strength – while nothing compared to what they had had before the Pulse – was still a force to be reckoned with. Most of all their special forces community still had very sharp teeth and those X5 transgenics were dealing blow after blow to their enemies; and in a few years the X6 series would become fully operational and could be used for combat missions as well. Yes, things had definitely looked good back then.

But of course somebody had to ruin the game; after Lydecker had deserted together with some of the most experienced X5s the higher ups had almost frozen all Manticore operations out of fear there would be the same problems with the rest of the X-series and after a few months the lack of transgenic soldiers on the hidden battlefields all around the world had started to show: Their enemies grew bolder again and he just didn't have enough forces to make up for the loss of those extraordinary soldiers who were not just faster and stronger than any other operator he had at his disposal but had also been trained for over two decades to do nothing else than defend the United States. Lydecker! He had known that man and Elizabeth Renfro never went along very well but accusing her of being a part of a hidden shadow organization was just ludicrous. Of course they had conducted an investigation – General Kovacs had led it himself – but there had been absolutely nothing. Maybe Lydecker had finally lost it. A pity, really. McNulty knew the man, had seen him in action and he had welcomed the committee's decision to reinstate him as Colonel and make him the head of the Manticore program. Apparently that had been a mistake. His phone ringed and he picked it up with an impatient grunt. It was almost two o'clock in the morning so this better had to be important.

"Tisnewsky, J3 SOD" he growled.

"Sir, I have Alexandria on the line for you" his aide – Sergeant-Major Pierce informed him. Her voice was calm and professional – she had witnessed such situations before, after all she had been working for him for almost three decades now –but his heart started pounding faster nevertheless. Alexandria was the code for an operator who was lost behind enemy lines and had to use public means of communication and needed immediate extraction.

"Alexandria?"

"Yes, sir, he says he's gonna talk to you only."

"Put him through!"

"Yes, sir. Standby." She terminated the connection and a few seconds later McNulty could hear the even breathing of another person on the line.

"Who is this?"

"_I'm hurt, sir"_ a man's voice answered. _"I would have expected a more civilized greeting from you."_

The old General's mouth went dry and he actually stopped breathing for a few seconds. Speak of the devil. Finally he regained his composure. "What on earth did you drink to come up with the idea of calling me? Are finally out of your damned mind? How did you get this number anyway?"

"_I'm glad you remember me."_ If it was possible Lydecker's smirk could even be heard over the line. _"And let's not say out my name loud, alright? I've got some very influential people looking for me."_

"Yeah, one of them is me. Where are you? What do you want?"

"_I need you to do something for me, General. First you have to get a team ready for extraction and escort and I need you to gather the joint chiefs. I have information they have to see."_

"And why should I do that? You're a deserter, a traitor, remember?"

"_I'm neither the one nor the other!"_ Lydecker snarled and the sudden and honest anger in his voice made Tisnewsky silently doubt the official version of this whole story – and not for the first time. _"And I can prove it. But I need to deliver my intel to the joint chiefs immediately and there are some people who will do everything they can to stop me from doing that."_

"Listen, if I want to have a chance to get them to listen to you I need to have something to sell them", Tisnewsky said. "What kind of intel are we talking about?"

"_Let's just say if they don't you're gonna have some very serious problems in about two weeks."_

"Define 'very serious', Colonel!"

"_Remember Waco?"_ Lydecker's voice was calm and calculating. _"Combine it with the Pulse and multiply the result several times, then you will have a slight imagination of what I'm talking about, sir."_

"Are you serious?" All of a sudden JT Tisnewsky wasn't sure anymore if he should pick up the red phone on his desk and call for an emergency meeting or definitely accept the fact that his fellow ex-Delta had gone crazy. And of course he had to mention Waco!

"_Sir, I definitely am, sir. For old time's sake, are you in?"_

"I am going to regret this" the General sighed. "Alright, where are you?"

A few minutes later he left his office and ordered Pierce to get him a security team together.

"You are not really gonna do this, right?" she asked him incredulously. "Sir, with all due respect, Lydecker is a deserter. Let the MP handle this."

"So you've been eavesdropping again, hm?" he asked her but wasn't really surprised; he knew her much too well for that. "You see, I remembered something my predecessor told me when I was a young Major and had just started working here."

"And that was?"

"It's much easier to kick somebody's ass if you're standing right behind him. And now get me that team together!"

* * *

_Manticore headquarters – Gilette, Wyoming_

"How are you holding up?" Wolf asked the youngest soldier in the room and for once Kara didn't reply with a witty or snide remark.

"I'm alright" she answered a little bit briskly, her face a mask of concentration. "Don't worry, they can't sense me, but it is difficult to shield my mind like this."

Luckily they hadn't needed Kara to detect or even engage any X7s. After Sandoval's order all X-soldiers had returned to their quarters and by now the only transgenics out of the locked down barracks were those of unit two and the Deltas. And Kara, of course; she had kept up with her older siblings without any problems and deep inside Wolf was proud of her but ever since all the X7s had returned from their patrols and as a consequence had gotten much closer to his younger twin it became more and more difficult for her to hide her presence from their collective hive awareness.

"For how long can you keep it up?"

This got him a short smile. "For however long you need me to."

He briefly returned her smile and nodded reassuringly; that girl was definitely a Manticore transgenic, brave, loyal and determined! When they heard somebody approaching the transgenics in the room turned towards the door and raised their weapons.

"Don't shoot!" they could hear Sergeant O'Neill from outside. "It's us."

They relaxed and Blade opened the door.

"How did it go?" Wolf asked O'Neill as soon as the Sergeant entered Renfro's office with Corporal Hayden and Jondy in tow.

"Walk in the park" the former Manticore black ops grinned. "We have filled the barracks with so much anesthesia gas they won't wake up for at least ten hours. The rest of unit two is waiting right outside the main entrance."

Once the X-series had followed Sandoval's order and were locked inside their quarters the SRTU platoons had pressed forward and took out the remaining Alliance commandos patrolling the perimeter while O'Neill and Hayden had taken care of their fellow Manticore black ops. Right now the Deltas and the ordinaries of the AAD 10 were waiting for the order to advance; once that order was given they would secure the facility – most of all the armory and the barracks with the locked up transgenics – while the Deltas and unit two were going to take care of the rest of the Alliance cyborgs.

"Perfect!" Wolf glanced at his watch and was pleased to see they were ahead of their timetable. "Alright, Jondy, Kara and Corporal Hayden: You stay here. Keep an eye on Renfro. And Jondy; keep us posted if anything happens in the barracks!"

"Got it!" Jondy had already started to take a look at Renfro's personal computer station and she was pleased to see that she could get access to every surveillance camera within the base; the old witch was even more paranoid than Lydecker or maybe she just liked to watch the X-soldiers suffer. In addition she would also be able to monitor any incoming transmissions in case the Colonel would have to speed up their plans a little bit.

"Good. The rest of you on me, we're moving out. Blade, you take point!"

They left quickly and made their way outside where they were joined by the rest of their unit. As they advanced towards the barracks of the Alliance troops they could see movements in the shadows from time to time – the Deltas of platoon one and two. O'Neill left them after a while to make contact with platoons three and four who would secure the armory and the quarters of the Manticore transgenics. When the Alliance barracks came into view they found their positions and then remained silent and unmoving, waiting for the attack order with the patience of the born predators they were.

After while every Delta unit had checked in with Ares who acted as a sort of coordinator for the time being and his teeth flashed unnaturally white in the darkness when he grinned and nodded.

"Foxhole, this is Delta-26" he whispered into his radio and transmitted the code that everything was ready: "The dogs are asleep and the children locked up, over."

"_26, this is Foxhole"_ came Major Linder's even voice. _"Copy on your last. Hold your position and wait for the order. Good hunting, Ares, over."_

"Wilco, 26 out." The young transgenic terminated the connection. "Get ready!"

"Been born ready!" Alec muttered under his breath.

* * *

_Fortress Delta – Switzerland – one minute later_

"Message from Foxhole" Captain Sehler announced in the command center. "Message reads: Stage one completed, awaiting attack order. Message ends!"

"Send the word to our allies: Operation Winter contingency is hot!" Colonel Meyer nodded. He had his hands behind his back and was overlooking the working command staff.

"So it finally begins" Major Coleman sighed heavily. He was the only American soldier who had stayed in the fortress and he absolutely hated it; he knew it was necessary that he remained here so not all would be lost if something went bad but sending out the soldiers he had trained and not being allowed to go with them was hard, harder than usual. Sure, he wasn't as close to them as Lydecker but he had been their trainer and TAC leader ever since they had started training.

"Relax, Major" Meyer tried to reassure him. "They are the best at what they are doing. It will be alright."

"I hope so, sir, I really hope so."

"Colonel, a message from General Shepperd." Sehler interrupted them again from his communications station. The commanding officer of the British SRTU was the acting commanding officer of the whole operation as she outranked not only the other three SRTU commanders but Lydecker as well. "To all SRTU, I confirm Operation Winter contingency is hot. All units are in position. Green light for the DC team, all other units begin your attack in four minutes! Message ends."

"Funny how so simple words can have such an impact on people and history." Coleman almost whispered. As an operator he had often heard such messages himself but then he had been in the field where he could actually make a difference, react to problems and threats immediately. Of course he had sent his soldiers into battle without going with them before but this was different; their enemy was different and the whole operation bigger than anything he had ever participated in before. Meyer looked at him with understanding and compassion in his eyes.

"Letting go and sending them out there on their own is never easy" he voiced what the Major was feeling. "This is a hard lesson, so better learn it the first time. Welcome to the big leagues."

* * *

_The Pentagon – Washington D.C._

"I really hope you know what you're doing" Tisnewsky said not for the first time and looked at his old comrade. They were marching through the noisy halls of the Pentagon, escorted by a quite large group of security personnel and the General asked himself what had driven Lydecker to come back, right into the lion's den. They had lost his track and until the Colonel had called him he had had absolutely no clue where he had been hiding and now he was here, right in the heart of the military power of the United States.

"I know, sir, don't worry" the former Manticore CO assured him and exchanged a brief glance with the young woman who had been with him when Tisnewsky and his men had found them at the airport, waiting calmly and with almost unnerving patience. She was very young – twenty, maybe a few years older – and hadn't said a word so far but she had that grim and silent confidence about her that told him she was not new to this kind of environment or situation. She was wearing a combat uniform Tisnewsky had never seen before and there were no rank insignias name on it but her self-assured and even stride told him she was used to wearing this sort of clothing and although she wasn't armed and looked almost petite amongst the bulky security men around her the old General couldn't help but consider her a possible threat. When they had met at the airport and he had asked who she was, the Colonel had called her his assistant but Tisnewsky had very well noticed the brief and annoyed glance she had shot him for that comment; definitely a soldier of some sort. Lydecker had insisted that she had to come with them and that she went wherever he had to go or their deal – as he had said – would not take place. Perhaps she was some sort of bodyguard but she was definitely not an X5; that had been the first thing he had checked and she was not in their database. At least he didn't have to worry about her being a transgenic assassin.

They approached the briefing room where the joint chiefs were already waiting for them. It had been quite a fight to get them to come and listen to what a traitor had to say but after all his years in the building Tisnewsky's word carried some weight. He just hoped whatever Deck had to tell them was worth all the trouble or he would make sure he got tossed into the darkest hole of Leavenworth.

"We're here" he muttered and approached the door. Lydecker nodded and turned towards the strange woman.

"Zira, whatever happens, don't talk" he reminded the Delta soldier. In the end Meyer had convinced him to take her with him. Sure, she was not a combat model and no match for somebody like Wolf or Ares, but she could take care of herself just fine. And as counter-intelligence specialist she was able to read the officers they were going to meet much better than Lydecker would ever have been; if they tried to stab them in the back she would notice. The Colonel lowered his voice so only she could hear him: "Whatever is going to happen in there, stick to the plan!"

She nodded and after that they entered the room. Inside they were greeted by the sight of the assembled joint chiefs and their staff. Lydecker stole a glance at his watch and grinned inwardly in satisfaction; they were right on time. At Tisnewsky's sign he went to the small podium while Zira took position behind him. She was careful to keep her face as much in the shadows as possible, like this it would be harder to guess who she was looking at. The security closed the door and then continued to watch them carefully.

"Welcome back, Colonel" one of the man greeted them. It was the highest ranking of the them, General Kramer, a former Marine. He observed Lydecker for a few seconds before he continued. "General Tisnewsky has informed us that you have something important to share. Be quick about it!"

"Yes, sir!" Lydecker nodded. "As you possibly all know, a little bit over a year ago I had to leave the Manticore headquarters in Wyoming and fled together with an X5 unit and a few members of my staff. We…"

"As far as I know, Colonel" another man in the uniform of an Air Force General interrupted him with an undertone of slight disdain, "you didn't just leave. You disobeyed a direct order and deserted and those X5s attacked guard personnel and Director Elizabeth Renfro in the process."

Zira narrowed her eyes at the speaker but after a few seconds she came to the conclusion that he wasn't a threat; he didn't seem to like the idea of listening to what Lydecker had to say but his eyes were attentive and his features rather open.

"I can assure you that is not correct, sir" Lydecker replied calmly. "Just before Director Renfro arrived that day with those new orders we came into possession of new intel about her and about her involvement with a criminal organization. Because of this I tried to contact the committee but she ordered her men to arrest me. After that the X5s were merely defending me and their fellow soldiers from a superior we then knew to be a renegade."

"We have heard those accusations before, Colonel." This time it was Tisnewsky himself. "There has been an investigation and there was absolutely nothing."

"If I may ask, sir, who was leading the investigation?"

"General Kovacs."

"Well, General Kovacs didn't have what I have" Lydecker replied but allowed himself a barely noticeable smirk. Of course there had been nothing if the head of the Alliance himself had been in charge. "Over the last year we have discovered a large and powerful criminal organization which calls himself the Alliance. They have succeeded in infiltrating not only our military but also large parts of our intelligence and private sectors as well."

"Do you have any proof?" Kramer looked at him skeptically but seemed to be more interested all of a sudden. What this Colonel was telling them sounded like pure insanity but there was nothing insane about the man. He was speaking in a serious and honest tone, didn't appear to be nervous and didn't hesitate. Kramer couldn't really believe that any of this was true but he could see Lydecker believed it.

"Sir, yes I do, sir." Some of the eyes in the room grew slightly bigger when he said this and turned around to Zira. At his unspoken order she reached very slowly into her pocket and took out the hard drive with copies of the most important files they had discovered. The guards followed her every movement with their eyes and she was sure they would not hesitate to use their weapons if she tried anything stupid. Well, that made the situation a lot more interesting. Lydecker nodded and turned back to the waiting Generals. "Sirs, on this hard drive you will find every proof you need and I can tell you it is quite a lot. This is why I must ask you to remain here and not to take any premature action before I have finished my explanations

"An unusual request, Colonel, and I can't guarantee it completely. Our actions will most likely depend on what you are going to tell us."

"Yes, sir." Lydecker nodded – such an answer had to be expected. He handed the hard drive to a technician who linked it with his laptop. A few seconds later files started to appear on every screen in the room. "With your permission I will first give you a brief summary on what has happened during the last year, sir. Please open file Alpha Zero One."

* * *

_Secret location near Washington D.C. – Supposed headquarters of the Alliance_

"C'est parti, les gars" Sarah announced to her teammates when she got the order from Aubagne. They were currently just about a hundred meters from their target, a quite large industrial complex which was surrounded by a tall wall with barbed wire on top of it. If she had needed any more proof they were in the right place she would only have to look around the corner to see the three men with submachine guns who were guarding the perimeter, patrolling from one corner of this side of the wall to the other; this was definitely the Alliance headquarters and they had done a good job in hiding this fact. But not good enough. The wall, the guards and most of all the cameras on top of the wall which were first class equipment from the looks of it made it clear that somebody inside wanted to keep out any intruder. That was about to change. "On y va!" _(That's it guys, let's go.)_

She briefly checked that everybody was ready before they rounded the corner and as a group of two women and three men they started walking towards the huge and dark buildings but stumbled from time to time and kept talking rather loudly in French. One of her companions even started singing an old and rather rude drinking song and after a moment they all joined him, laughing and joking and taking occasional swigs from the bottles in their hands. The guards noticed them of course and eyed them suspiciously but didn't look too alerted; they were wearing civilian clothing and long coats to hide their tactical vests and they had left their rifles with their comrades, only taking handguns with them. To any outsider they would have looked like a group of drunk young people, maybe students because they were talking in a foreign language, and not like the strike team of deadly transgenics they were. When they came closer one of the men reached for his radio and made contact with his superiors.

"This is patrol two, we have a group of five approaching, over."

"_Roger that, we have them on our monitors. Your call, over."_

"Roger, they appear to be drunk, no danger. We'll send them away, over and out." He terminated the connection and took a step forward. "Alright, this is far enough. There are some people here who won't like you making such a ruckus at this time. Go find a party elsewhere, alright?"

"Quoi?" Sarah said apparently surprised, then she started giggling and turned towards one of the male transgenics. "Qu'est-ce qu'il dit?" _(What? What is he saying?)_

"Il veut que nous partons" her teammate replied with a heavily slurred voice. The guards hesitated for a moment before the patrol leader spoke up again. _(He wants us to leave.)_

"Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I do!" the one who had answered Sarah's question replied with a big smile and a heavy accent. "But we were told we could find some party somewhere around here."

"Well, sorry buddy" the Alliance commando replied with a small smile "but there's no party here."

"Hé, regardez!" the second female transgenic suddenly exclaimed and threw her bottle at the nearest camera, missing by a long shot but laughed loudly nevertheless. One of the men picked up a stone and aimed a little bit more carefully and shouted in triumph when he hit the target, smashing the camera to pieces. _(Hey, look!)_

"Hey, what the hell do you think you are doing?" the Alliance soldier yelled and pushed him back, angrily glaring at all of them.

"Laisse-les tranquille, salaud!" Sara shouted and grabbed him but he shook her off and pushed her back as well. She made up a quite impressing show of stumbling for a moment before she fell to the ground with a surprised yelp. Her comrades glared at the three men and two of them menacingly took a step forwards. _(Leave them alone, bastard!)_

"That's enough!" yelled the patrol leader and the three of them brought up their weapons, but not really pointing them at the five obviously completely drunk and now angry young men and women yet. They stopped and for a few seconds nobody moved before the Alliance commando spoke up again, looking at the one who obviously understood English. "This is private property and you're about to get yourself into a big load of trouble. Get the hell out of here and stay away in the future!"

Staggering Sarah got back on her feet and with an angry noise moved to attack the three soldiers but her teammate held her back. "Arrête, ça ne vaut pas la peine! Laissons ces cons." _(Stop, it's not worth it. Let's leave those idiots to themselves.)_

She glared at him in mock anger and shook him off, but made no further attempt to get back at the soldier. Time was running short and they had to get back to where the rest of their team was waiting but there was still a second camera they had to take care of. She angrily spat on the ground and turned away, walking a few steps before she suddenly stopped and looked back as if she had just remembered something. Looking up at the second camera she swung her own bottle and threw it without really aiming and the rest of her small team followed suit. The third bottle hit – it would have been much too suspicious if she had hit it with the first throw – and just like the first one the camera was destroyed. They all smirked at the three commandos and Sara gave them the finger and hissed: "Va the faire foutre!" _(Bite me!) _before they turned around and walked back to where they came from

"You little brats!" one of the soldiers growled but his leader held him back.

"Let them, they're just kids."

"Yeah, and apparently they need to be taught some manners!" the other one muttered angrily but calmed down a little bit.

"That's not our job. The way they acted they're gonna regret this night anyway when they wake up in the morning." That made the three men grin in unison at the mention of what would most likely be a major hangover in a few hours and the leader sighed. Of course he was annoyed as well but there was no real harm done. Their superiors had more than enough money to replace two broken surveillance cameras and they had all been young once. He chuckled. "Kids!"

"_Patrol two, what is going on out there?"_ he heard his superior's voice in his earpiece. _"We've lost both cameras in your sector. Is there a problem, over?"_

"This is two, negative. Those kids smashed the cameras but they're gone now. We're all clear. Over and out."

Sarah grinned when she heard that just before the rounded the corner again and found themselves face-to-face with the rest of their team who had been waiting in the shadows for their return. She glanced at her watch and smiled; right on time. Now that the cameras were down and no alarm raised yet they would be able to get inside the compound without somebody noticing – at least that was the plan. Quickly they took of their coats and grabbed their rifles before the team moved into position. They had to be ready and begin their attack in unison with everybody else. There would be no order anymore, they all knew at what time the operation had to be executed and then all around the globe hell would be unleashed upon the Alliance.

"À tous de Sarah" she whispered into her mike. "Encore deux minutes. Snipers, essayez de neutraliser les gardes sans les tuer!" _(Everybody, this is Sarah. Two minutes to go. Snipers, try to neutralize the guards without killing them!»)_

«Compris.» came the snipers answer. "Question: Pourquoi tu en veux pas qu'on les tue? Répondez." _(Roger. Interrogative: Why do you want us not to kill them? __Over.")_

«Parce que ce n'est pas nécessaire. Terminé!» _(Because it isn't necessary. Over and out!)_

As a matter of fact it would have been much safer if the snipers just killed the three Alliance commandos who had resumed their patrol duty by now but somehow she had a feeling that wouldn't be right. Those three seemed to be your usual soldiers, not some crazy fanatics. Sure, they were mercenaries and right now her enemies but they had reacted rather nicely to the bunch of drunk people; as a matter of fact she wasn't sure if she would have reacted so calmly herself. They seemed – in their own way – to be alright and perhaps she just wanted to reward them for not having tried to hit her when she had provoked it. Whatever! She shook her head and glanced at her watch again. Only a few more seconds to wait.

* * *

_Manticore Headquarters – Gilette, Wyoming_

"How are you holding up?" Jondy asked and shot a brief glance at Kara. The X7 was leaning against the wall with a very concentrated look on her face. At her question she looked up and gave the X5 a small and reassuring smile.

"I'm good, don't worry. It was a little bit hard at the beginning but I've got it under control now." Kara knew she had to stay focused or the other X7s would notice her presence and although they were all locked up in their quarters for the moment she knew they were strong enough to break out if they really wanted to.

"How much longer?" Sandoval asked.

"Not much" Jondy replied, not wanting to give him any precise information. Of course, it appeared he really was on their side but she wasn't about to trust him too much. Corporal Hayden grinned and briefly shook his head in amusement. However, those two ordinaries were alright – even Sandoval – compared to the third one in the room. Elizabeth Renfro had been tied up and gagged and was sitting with her back against the wall in the far corner of the room. Since she had regained consciousness she didn't stop glaring at all of them with intense hatred but she had been calm; until now. Suddenly she started screaming as loud as the gag and her broken jaw allowed it, a continuous muffled but nevertheless high-pitched sound. A little bit surprised Jondy looked up and frowned. What was that woman thinking? She couldn't get free of her of her bonds on her own and that screaming had to hurt after Wolf had "rearranged" her face a little bit. Nevertheless the blond Director didn't stop and not only the two transgenics with their enhanced hearing but also the two men grew very annoyed.

"Can't you just shut her up?" she asked Hayden and cringed at yet another scream. The former Manticore black ops nodded and quickly approached the mad woman. She saw him coming but didn't stop; they were about to find out why. Suddenly the door flew open and two Alliance commandos stormed into the room with their guns at the ready. At first everybody was frozen in place and transgenics, ordinaries and cybernetically enhanced soldiers stared at each other for the blink of an eye before then all hell broke loose.

Jondy dove for cover behind the desk just when the two enemies opened fire on her, Hayden – who was too close to the door – reached for his own weapon but was met with a horrible punch to the face and was thrown against the wall and sank to the floor barely conscious and definitely out of the fight. Out of nowhere Kara suddenly lunged at the commando closer to her and made him stumble. She tried to hit him as fast and as often as possible and she was actually doing a good job but like their older siblings had predicted it she was no match for a fully trained and enhanced Alliance soldier yet. He got through her defenses and punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her and before she could blink a kick sent her to the floor.

Meanwhile Jondy had gotten back up and but their second opponent had been waiting for this and opened fire immediately. She was hit and gasped in pain but retaliated just as quickly, firing several shots of which one luckily found its way right between the man's eyes. He dropped without a sound.

Kara got up again immediately – it seemed like she didn't even feel the pain – and attacked the last remaining mercenary without hesitation and a feral growl. He fired some shots at her but thanks to her incredible speed he didn't seem to hit anything and she managed to kick the gun out of his hand before the two of them were engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand battle once again. Jondy tried to get a clear shot at him but Kara was right in her line of fire and before she could warn the younger transgenic the Alliance soldier got lucky again scored a hit to Kara's head which made her stumble back in confusion and dizziness but this time he didn't let her go. Instead he grabbed her and threw her in Jondy's direction to avoid being shot by the X5. Lucky for the young girl Jondy caught her and thus slowed down her fall which would most certainly have resulted in severe injuries but this gave the commando the time to pick up his gun and like in slow motion Jondy could do nothing but watch with wide eyes how he took aim at her while she wasn't able to move fast enough, still holding Kara in her arms.

The sound of the shot fired made her flinch violently. The man was thrown around and the side of his head seemed to explode before he followed his already dead comrade and dropped to the floor. Breathing heavily Jondy looked at Sandoval who still had his smoking gun trained on the unmoving body of the attacker. The whole fight had only taken seconds and after he had dove for cover behind a filing cabinet it had taken him a few precious moments to get back up and draw his weapon. Luckily he had just made it in time to see how the last of the black clad soldiers was about to kill the transgenics.

"All units, this is Jondy" the brown-haired woman spoke into her throat-micro. "We've been attacked but the situation is under control. Over and out."

Nothing was under control, she knew that. The two commandos had discovered them three minutes before the attack and the rest of their comrades had certainly heard the shots as well. She could only hope her siblings outside would be able to take them out before they were completely battle-ready.

"Blade was right" Jondy whispered and glanced at Sandoval. "Now I trust you."

He just nodded.

"What the hell…Looks like I've missed the fun" Hayden groaned and got back up in a sitting position and looked around. Suddenly he gasped and jumped up. "Jondy, you're hit!"

"It's just the shoulder" she replied with her lips pressed together. "I'm alright."

It really was just her shoulder but damned, it hurt! Being as stubborn as ever she tried not to show it but Hayden knew her well enough.

"Right!" he snorted. "Sit down and let me take care of this!"

"But…"

"Now, soldier! Agent Sandoval, cover the door, please. I don't want to have any more surprises like this one." Sandoval nodded in agreement and closed the door while Jondy sat down in Renfro's chair again and let Hayden take off her jacket. She briefly looked at the wound and had to admit than it was perhaps really a little bit worse than she had thought at the beginning; it was bleeding heavily and most of all the exit wound on her back looked quite nasty but she knew Hayden would take care of it. From outside they could hear the sound of automatic weapons and explosions, apparently their attack teams were starting to take out the rest of the Alliance troops.

"Agent Sandoval, I think now would be a good time" she said pointedly looking at the man in question.

"I agree" he muttered darkly. He went around Renfro's desk without letting the door out of his eyes for a second and opened a base-wide channel again. "This is agent Sandoval. This base is under attack but the situation is under control. All personnel and transgenic units remain in their quarters until further notice, I say again, all personnel and all transgenic units remain in their quarters. That's an order!"

He exchanged glances with Hayden and Jondy and sighed. "Let's hope they listen."

"They will. The Manticore black ops are unconscious and the transgenics will follow their orders and remain where they are." Jondy nodded confidently but flinched when Hayden's treatment caused yet another spike of pain. "Everybody else alright?"

"I'm good" Sandoval nodded retaking his guarding position in front of the door.

"Same here" Hayden grunted.

"Good. Kara?" When the girl young girl didn't answer she looked at her a little bit irritated. Alright, this was her first real battle but she had no time to hold her hand now. "Kara, are you alright?"

The young X7 was looking at her older sibling through half-closed eyes, her lips were slightly parted and her breathing much too quick. Jondy noticed the cold sweat on the girl's forehead and how her hands were pressed against her right side.

"I didn't feel it" the young transgenic whispered, sounding tired and surprised at the same time. "I didn't feel it."

All of a sudden her legs gave in and she fell onto the hard floor.

"Crap!" Hayden hissed and was at her side in the blink of an eye; Jondy followed suit. "Easy there, Kara, easy."

The medic forced the girl to lie on her back and pried her hands away. Her jacket was soaked in blood and her face twisted in pain under the dark camouflage color; it seemed like the adrenalin and the shock were starting to wear off. Hayden finally got her jacket and shirt out of the way and he hesitated for a brief moment upon seeing how bad the damage done to her body really was. Her whole right side was covered in unusually crimson blood and the bleeding didn't seem to stop. He took another bandage and tried his best to help the injured transgenic but he knew it was to no avail.

"Oh no" Jondy whispered. She knelt down at the X7s side – her own injury forgotten for the moment – and exchanged a brief glance with the ordinary soldier. The blood's color could only mean one thing; the bullet must have injured the liver. It was an extremely dangerous wound, even she with her basic knowledge about wounds and field medicine was well aware of that. Kara had twenty minutes, half an hour at a maximum.

"The others!" Kara exclaimed and started to hyperventilate. "They X7s…they know I'm here…I couldn't…couldn't control it…it just slipped…"

"Relax, Kara" Hayden tried to calm her. "Just take it easy!"

"It's gonna be okay. O'Neill has already secured the barracks" Jondy assured her but opened another comm channel nevertheless. Of course with all the fighting and then being shot the girl couldn't keep up her cover and remain hidden from the other X7s. "O'Neill, this is Jondy. Be advised, the X7 units have noticed Kara's presence. They might try to get out, over."

"_Oh, really? Hell, I didn't notice!"_ the Sergeant's sarcastic voice answered. _"They're already trying it. The X5s and X6s appear to be waiting for orders but the small ones are quite active but don't worry, we've got it covered. Platoons three and four are in position and we have enough stun rounds to put them to sleep six times if needed. Over and out."_

"Jondy", it hurts!" the Kara suddenly moaned and tried to curl up in a fetal position. All of a sudden the dull pain became a burning agony. "Gods, it hurts!"

"Can't you do something?" Jondy asked the corpsman but he shook his head, his desperation growing.

"No, I can't. This is just too severe, she needs an operation. I can't even give her painkillers; her blood pressure is already too low."

Suddenly Kara screamed when a new wave of pain tore through her body. She gritted her teeth so hard it actually started to hurt, her eyes were pressed shut and she was shaking under Hayden's hands so violently he could barely hold her down. Out of instinct she grasped Jondy's arm, searching for any sort of help. "Jondy…I can't…Ah, dammit!"

"Get her to the infirmary!" Jondy decided. "Sandoval, you go with them to provide cover!"

"What? But this will leave you defenseless!" Sandoval protested.

"I can take care of myself!" she snapped.

"We don't know if any of the doctors are there!" Hayden protested. "What if we get there and there's nobody around to operate her?"

"Then you will have to do it!"

"Jondy, you can't…"

"I can and I will! If she stays here she will die and I'm not gonna let that happen. Get out!"

"Jondy…I…" Hayden began but trailed off. His hands were still pressed on Kara's blood-smeared stomach but his attention was now completely on the female X5. "You are wounded…I can't…"

"You can and you must!" she insisted.

"But you are wounded!" his voice suddenly had a desperate and terribly anxious edge. He briefly looked at Sandoval, silently asking the older man for help, before his eyes found Jondy's again. "What if…"

"Don't say it. I will be fine!" Jondy snapped but then briefly paused and when she spoke again her voice was much softer all of a sudden. She took one of his hands and squeezed it briefly, trying to reassure him. "Dan, you have to do this. Go. Save her!"

He stared at her for a few more seconds, his fears now fully visible on his face, before he nodded briskly. Quickly he picked up the small girl but although he was as gentle as possible she screamed again, tears of pain running down her cheeks. He held her carefully in his arms and gave Jondy a last glance before he turned towards the door and nodded at Sandoval. The older man had watched their dispute in silence. He knew Jondy was right; they had to get the girl to a doctor or she would become yet another casualty in this war, but Hayden a point as well. If another pair of Renfro's personal guard would make it here she would most likely be killed. Nevertheless he didn't hesitate at Hayden's signal and opened the door, weapon at the ready.

"Clear" he announced after a few seconds and Hayden stepped outside. Sandoval turned towards Jondy one last time and gave her a brief nod of acknowledgement. "Seal the door once we're gone. Good luck!"

"I will. Now get going!"

He left and Jondy was alone with Renfro who had a nasty smirk on her face.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" she warned the blond woman with a threatening glare. Her constant shouting only minutes ago seemed very logic now; she had known a couple of Alliance commandos would check on her from time to time and with all the noise she had made they had been warned and in addition neither Jondy nor Kara had been able to hear them approaching. "Lydecker wants us to keep you alive and able to talk, but you don't need both of your eyes to do that, understand me?"

Renfro frowned and after eyeing the angry X5 swallowed visibly.

Outside the battle seemed to become even fiercer.

* * *

When he heard the shots Wolf's head jerked around sharply and he stared in the direction of the main building for the blink of an eye before swore and turned towards Ares. They were too early, godsdammit! The two young men exchanged a grim glance and then Ares nodded.

"All units, this is Delta-26. Attack, attack, attack!"

Immediately unit two left their cover and started running towards the guards at the entrance to the Alliance barracks. All around them the shadows seemed to come to life as the Deltas from platoons one and two followed their examples. From inside the barracks sleepy voices could be heard and lights were switched on. The three guards noticed them of course and raised their weapons but dropped dead to the ground together with their dogs when sniper rifles cracked in the distance.

"_Guards down"_ Artemis announced over wireless. _"You are clear to engage!"_

But the transgenics didn't need any further encouragement; just when the door of the middle barrack was opened and an Alliance commando only wearing a shirt and pants stepped outside to check what was going on Deltas and X5s alike made it inside the fence and opened fire on him immediately. He was thrown back inside the building hit by at least a dozen rounds and this was when the dark night erupted into chaos. From inside their quarters the first Alliance mercenaries started to shoot at everything that moved outside but thanks to the darkness and the inhuman speed of the transgenics there wasn't much harm done. Like they had planned the attackers split up, each of the three groups attacking one of the building. Together with others Max and Alec knelt down next to each other and send a hail of bullets through the windows, forcing the commandos to take cover for a moment, giving Wolf, Kyla, Ares and Blade the time they needed to make it to the open door.

"_All units, this is Jondy."We've been attacked but the situation is under control. Over and out." Jondy's voice came out of their radios._

"Really!" Wolf snorted but didn't have the time to answer her call.

The voices inside were now shouting and screaming, some in panic, others angry and aggressive and after the first shock the Alliance soldiers started to defend themselves with the fierce rage of cornered animals, all of them at least subconsciously understanding that this wasn't just a small attack but that they were fighting for their lives. Bullets whizzed past their heads and Max let herself fall to the ground which most probably saved her life. Alec and Havoc weren't so happy. Nova's mate got himself a grazing shot to the side and Alec took a bullet in his leg. Both men grunted in pain but were back on their feet in the blink of an eye and returned fire.

"Alec!" Max shouted in panic when she saw him fall.

"Shoot, Max!" he screamed back. "I'm okay! Shoot!"

Out of nowhere a sniper rifle cracked and Jace went down with an agonized scream.

"Sniper! Soldier down!" Brin hollered while running towards her fallen sister. Three cracks answered her call.

"_Sniper down!" _Artemis announced grimly. _"Watch your flanks!"_

"That's the AAD's job!" Max screamed.

"Shut up and follow me!" Alec ordered her briefly and jumped up. They ran towards the door and out of the line of fire of the windows. Out of the corner of her eye she could make out Nova running towards Brin and Jace and not for the first time she admired the medic's courage. The blond X5 was right in the center of the Alliance's field of fire but it seemed as she didn't care and was only concerned about her fellow injured X5.

"Help me get her out of here!" Nova ordered briskly and together with Brin she dragged the groaning Jace away from the battle.

At the door Wolf and Ares were exchanging fire with their enemies inside. Blade was standing behind Ares, ready to charge into the room, the left sleeve of her jacket red with her own blood but the Asian didn't even seem to notice and Kyla readied a grenade just when the rest of unit two arrived.

"Fire in the hole!" the shorthaired woman warned her comrades before she threw the small but deadly device inside. Wolf and Ares took cover and a split second later the grenade detonated, shaking the ground beneath their feet and from the pained screams inside it must have been a good toss. Not waiting another second the four combat models charged into the room, killing everything in their path and the rest of their siblings followed them immediately.

The following twenty seconds were the longest of her entire life and Max knew she would never be able to forget what she was seeing, hearing, smelling.

And doing.

The room was partly filled with smoke and pieces of furniture were littered on the floor. Although they had been warned by the early shots from inside the main building the mercenaries hadn't had enough time to fully awake and ready themselves before they found themselves surrounded by X5s and Deltas. The stench of burned flesh and freshly spilled blood was hanging in the air and made it difficult for her to breathe but she didn't – couldn't – stop and followed her siblings. She knew if she didn't she would leave one of them exposed to an attack so she had to stay at Alec's side. The transgenics were wreaking havoc upon the barely prepared Alliance commandos; most of them were only in their underwear and fighting tooth and nail for their very lives. Most were trying to defend themselves with handguns and rifles but a few didn't even have firearms were using whatever they could their hands on, some wielding their battle knives and she even saw one throwing a bedside lamp at Wolf which he dodged with ease only to retaliate in smashing the butt of his assault rifle into the man's head, most likely killing him instantly. One by one the commandos were taken out until only a small group of seven of them remained in the far corner of the room.

In a final assault Blade, Ares, Wolf and Kyla threw themselves at them under the cover of their siblings' fire. One of the men lost it and jumped out of the window in the back of the building and started running towards the woods only to be greeted by the fire of the AAD units who were killing everyone who was trying to flee. The other six stayed behind their cover until the last moment and then jumped up to meet the four transgenics but it was a hopeless fight. Even from across the room Max could see their eyes held no hope anymore, only desperation, fear bordering to panic and yet the ultimate will to fight until the end.

The first one met his end at Blade's knife and the Asian severely wounded a second enemy in the same fluent move, causing him to fall to the ground, screaming in pain while holding his stomach. Kyla and Wolf got two more, both of them using their own blades as well. Ares, however, wasn't using any weapon; he crushed his first opponent's windpipe and broke his neck in the blink of an eye before blocking the attack of the last one and throwing him against the wall so violently Max could hear his ribs breaking. The Alliance commando got back to his feet with amazing speed, considering his condition, and tried to attack again. By now, however, Ares was holding his own knife in his hands and brought it down with an enraged scream, aiming for the man's neck. At the last moment the commando was able to block the attack and they got entangled in a fierce struggle. After a few seconds the cybernetically enhanced soldier began to lose strength due to his injuries and slowly but steadily the deadly blade was brought closer to his neck.

"Please! Mercy!" the man hissed. Suddenly Ares stopped, his eyes widening in recognition and his face became a grimace of rage.

"Didn't the Echos say that, too?" the Delta replied with a dark and feral growl. He didn't let go at all, wasn't even thinking about it and his eyes were filled with such an intense and burning hatred Max had never seen before. Everybody in the room was silently watching the two opponents but nobody dared to move. Without warning Ares broke free of his adversary's grip and buried his knife deep into his shoulder. The man howled in agony and sank down to his knees. Blade stepped forward; she didn't know what was going on with her partner but seeing him like this scared her and she wanted him to stop. One of the few other Deltas in the room, Jazi, signaled her to stay back. Ares bent down to his enemy until their faces barely touched. "Were they not begging you not to shoot their siblings, lying on the ground, injured and defenseless?"

Max glanced at the other Deltas and at the four X5 combat models; unlike the rest of them they didn't look at the bizarre scene with some sort of dread or discomfort but rather expectantly, waiting for the final blow which had to come. In their eyes she could read their approval of Ares' actions and their demand for blood. She remembered as well now; that man was one of those who had attacked the Echo base and most of all the Delta's wanted revenge. Suddenly she felt cold and shivered slightly.

"I have watched the footage from the surveillance cameras of that base you attacked again and again and again! Do you know what I saw?" Ares continued like everything and everybody else around him didn't matter anymore. He twisted the blade and the commando yelped weakly. "I saw you, you and your comrades."

More than she saw it Max felt it coming. She wanted to turn away, didn't want those pictures in her head for the rest of her life but somehow she couldn't. Unconsciously she gripped Alec's hand and he squeezed hers tightly, not able to look away either.

"I saw you, shooting innocent, wounded and defenseless children!" Ares voice was barely a whisper now and for a moment Max was sure to see tears in his eyes but whether it was because of all the smoke in the building or something else she couldn't say. "I saw and heard them asking you for mercy, not for themselves but for their siblings, but you killed them. YOU KILLED MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!"

The last words were roared at the top of his voice and before anybody would have been able to hold him back Ares yanked his knife out of his opponent's shoulder and in a brutal strike buried it again in his neck. The commando looked at him, unable to speak anymore but his eyes told everybody of the pain and horror he experienced during the last moments of his life. When it was finally done the young Delta let the lifeless body drop to the floor unceremoniously. Feeling all eyes on him he looked at his fellow transgenics. Some of them were looking at him with understanding and approval, most of all his fellow Deltas and the three X5 combat models – Wolf, Kyla and Blade – but some of the others were staring at him with slight shock and almost fear. He signaled Jazi to evacuate the building as nobody else was alive anymore and started to walk towards the entrance himself. When he approached Max he suddenly stopped and looked at her as if he had just remembered something. Finally his lips curled up in a humorless smile.

"Now you know why I'm called Ares" he said in an even and low voice which made Max shiver again.

"_Ares, the Greek god of warfare and bloodlust; a very special name. How did you get it?"_

"_Long story. Perhaps I'll tell you another time."_

She had asked him that question over a year ago and at the time she didn't think there was such a big deal about it. But yes, now she knew. Warfare and bloodlust; she understood at that very moment that Ares would do anything to keep his unit safe and his mission accomplished. As if on cue Wolf and Kyla appeared at his side and she eyed her twin brother and his mate and she didn't like what she saw in the three transgenics' faces at the moment. But that had to wait.

"Yes, now I know" she replied quietly, then pressed her lips together and nodded before she turned around and left the barrack together with her unit. They were not done yet, after all.

* * *

_Pentagon – Washington DC_

"Are you telling me the Swiss SRTU together with other units is going to attack Manticore?" General Kramer asked. After having seen the proof of Lydecker's words themselves the joint chiefs had become very attentive and their meeting was progressing quickly.

"Yes, sir, that is correct" the former head of Manticore nodded. "The SRTU commands take care of the other bases around the world at the same time."

Kramer exchanged a few glances with his comrades and Zira suddenly tensed; this was not good!

"If we still have two weeks there is still time" Kramer finally mused and looked at an officer of his staff. "Get me our FBI liaison and send word to Manticore: Put them on alert and tell them to search the surrounding area for spotters."

"Sir, I seriously advise you not to do that!" Lydecker interrupted him. This was what he had feared.

"And why is that? You said we still had two weeks?"

"No sir, with respect, I never said that." Lydecker could almost feel how Zira readied herself and decided he needed to play with fully open cards; this was the moment of truth. "I said you would have a serious problem in about two weeks. I estimated that after this time the media would be all over the topic at the latest."

"What are you talking about?" Tisnewsky asked him, slowly standing up, dreading the answer to his question.

"Sir, apparently there has been a misunderstanding. You are still thinking the assault on Manticore will be happening in about two weeks; that is not correct." Lydecker breathed deeply and readied himself for what was about to happen. "It is happening right now!"

For a second the room fell so silent it almost hurt Zira's sensitive hearing and then…

"You son of a…!" Kramer jumped up and stared the old Colonel with a mixture of disbelief and anger. The other generals exchanged unbelieving glances. "Alert Manticore immediately, tell them they are about to be ambushed and alert all nearby units as well and order them to deploy to Gilette immediately!"

"General, you should not do that!" Lydecker said seriously.

"You shut your mouth! I've had enough of your lies and half-truths. Guards, throw that traitorous bastard into a holding cell and call the MP!"

No sooner than Kramer had given that order Zira spun into action; she whirled around and slammed the first security squad member against the wall, disarmed a second one and got him into a choke-hold, pressing his own gun against his temple.

"Tell them, Colonel" she hissed and used the man's body as a shield against his comrades. "Tell them what's going to happen if they do this!"

For a moment everybody stared at the seemingly so small and almost petite woman who had just taken out two much taller and much stronger – or so it would have appeared – security guards. Only Tisnewsky wasn't really surprised but he kept this to himself for the moment. A transgenic, most likely an SRTU. How could he have been so stupid? "What is she talking about, Deck?"

Lydecker on the other hand looked completely at ease and was looking at Kramer with an almost unnatural calmness. "As I said, general: You should not do that! I guarantee you those forces have no intention to attack the United States of America but if you send the Army against them now they will defend themselves with everything they have. I'm asking you to hear me out. Give me three minutes and you will see there is no need for our forces to get actively involved."

"Tell all nearby units to deploy towards Manticore but make it clear they are not to maintain a distance of ten miles" Kramer finally ordered one of his men. The officer nodded and left the room. "Now, Colonel, start talking. You have exactly three minutes."

* * *

And while Lydecker was using the most precious three minutes of his life to convince the joint chiefs of the United States armed forces not to make the biggest mistake in their lives transgenic and ordinary units all around the world were executing their missions. In New York a group of the French GCP Paratroopers kidnapped two high-ranking members of the Alliance and killed a private financier while another unit destroyed two facilities in South America. Near Moscow another Alliance stronghold experienced a short and brutal firefight before their hideout was destroyed by rather large amount of explosives, set by the German forces and in Sydney an international arms dealer was killed in broad daylight by a British sniper team. Moscow, Berlin, Bangkok, Kinshasa, Lissabon and over three dozen more targets were attacked and destroyed. The Alliance headquarters proved to be a little bit more difficult but together with her fellow transgenics and with the help of the Paratroopers of the French Foreign Legion Sarah managed to execute her mission as well and the building was left in flames when the last French soldiers hurriedly left the scene. The only survivors were three Alliance commandos who were lying outside the perimeter wall; they were injured but they would live and Sarah was sure it had been the right choice.

And in Gilette the Swiss forces and unit two prepared themselves for the storm that was about to come. Briefly Max allowed herself to gaze at the dark sky and wondered with growing anxiety in her heart if anything would be the same again once this hellish nightmare was over.

* * *

**Okay, first part of the battle is over. I know, I know, not all of your questions have been answered but I promise they will be in the near future. Also, like I said at the top, Max will be given more writing time in a future chapter.**

**Now, before you start yelling at me that I forgot about Kara: I didn't. You're gonna find out about her in the next chapter as well as about Jace and Lydecker.**

**I hope you enjoyed reading this and I will certainly enjoy reading your reviews (right, really subtle, Tolen!)**


	26. Nurses and Generals

**cappsy**: Thanks a lot for your review once more. I have been waiting to post the explanation for Ares' name for a long time so I'm glad you liked it. I have been thinking about if I should get some of them injured or not but even with the effect of surprise on their side it seemed unrealistic that they could take down the Alliance without casualties. You'll learn more about their medical state in this chapter. And I know what you mean with Max snapping as well, and somehow she will, but remember she is not a combat model like some of her siblings so she will react a little bit differently. I have thought of letting Jondy do something to Renfro but I think this would be untypical. First of all Jondy is a '09er and doesn't approve of violence as much as the others do and second I think Renfro would really remain quiet in that situation once she is alone with an X5 who is threatening her. Anyway, glad you liked it and by the way, thanks for your message, I hope you will update soon as well!

**452max**: Well, I hope you could wait. You'll find out about Lydecker in this update and you'll get some other information as well. Max will not do much fighting this time, but don't worry, I didn't forget she does kick ass if she has to. Thanks for your review as well and here you go.

**Yeldi**: Une douche très froide, je suis absolument d'accord. You will find out in this chapter what effects this has caused and perhaps as well why I did it. Update on the way, I hope it is fast enough. Thanks to you, too!

**Jasper's Imaginary Friend**: Yes, this was the first part of the battle although I have to admit this one won't be filled with as much action, more reorganizing and dealing with the aftermath, but don't worry, there will be more later. I hope you didn't scare your neighbors with your behavior, I know I would be a little bit worried if somebody around me suddenly started to attack thin air *gg* no, seriously, thanks a lot, I'm glad you enjoyed it. And yes, I had Kara shot, sorry. You'll see in this update how she is doing. And no, actually nobody has mocked my cliffhangers in a long time. Perhaps I'm just becoming evil in my old age. But you can relax, this one isn't that bad. If the next ones are gonna be worse depends on your answers during the next chapters. Yeah, I know, evil Tolen. Thank you very much for your review as well!

* * *

The pained moans and occasional screams of the wounded echoed through the halls of the infirmary and the smell of antiseptic and blood was so strong it would have made many grown up man throw up. Transgenic and ordinary medics were trying to help their wounded comrades, patched up minor injuries and distributed painkillers where needed, shouting orders and demands for help from time to time. To an outsider it would have appeared that everything was chaotic and out of order but not to nurse Callen; she had seen scenes like this before and was not unfamiliar with the concept of an emergency medical center. The small woman stood in the middle of the room and kept everybody in check, sending medics and soldiers to wherever they were needed, coordinated their efforts and all the while kept an eye on the door so she could react immediately if more wounded soldiers arrived.

When she had woken up and heard the sound of gunfire she didn't hesitate and immediately made her way to the infirmary as she knew sooner or later there would be men and women who would need her help. While on her way she had ignored Sandoval's order to remain in her quarters; she had never liked the man and other than most of the command staff her skills would be desperately needed once the battle was over. When she had arrived at her destination she was met by a more than just unexpected sight: Corporal Hayden, holding the small body of X7-452, in his arms and Agent Sandoval were approaching the infirmary from the opposite direction. For a brief moment she had hesitated out of fear the corpsman – who was a traitor, after all – would attack her but when she had gotten one look into his anxious eyes she knew he was only there to save the girl. They entered the infirmary together where doctor Cottle was already waiting for them.

"Didn't you hear the message, Callen?" the old man had asked her gruffly. "The one about staying in your quarters?"

"Don't even start, sir" she stopped him. "You need my help!"

He had grumbled something about sassy nurses which Callen took as his way to say 'thank you' and then turned towards Hayden. "Back without a warning, hm? How civilized! What happened to her?"

They had examined the young transgenic and although she was just a nurse Callen saw immediately the girl wouldn't make it if she wasn't operated immediately and without a word she started to prepare whatever was needed. She had almost finished when more and unknown voices reached her ear. She went back to her superior and found the room quickly filling with unknown soldiers. She overheard Hayden telling Cottle they were their allies but she didn't really care; she didn't know those men and women but they were injured and needed her help. She exchanged a glance with Cottle and after a brief moment of hesitation he nodded before he turned towards Hayden.

"You come with me!" he ordered the younger soldier.

"What? But sir, I…I'm a corpsman, not a doctor!" the Hayden objected. "Wouldn't Callen be better suited to assist you?"

"She's needed here or do you see anybody else of my staff?" Cottle growled impatiently. Out of those who were not off base at the moment Callen really was the only one of the medical staff who had defied the order to stay in her quarters but she was most certainly not the worst choice; having served as a field medic that woman knew how to handle herself and her patients. "She's needed out here to keep the rest of your new buddies alive, now move or I make you! Callen, you're in charge here, good luck!"

After this the two men had disappeared into the operating room without a further word and Cullen was left to take care of the growing numbers of wounded soldiers. She didn't know what was happening but whoever they were that battle outside must have been a major attack as there were at least a dozen severely wounded and a few others who would be able to leave again once they had patched them up. The soldiers were talking to each other in a foreign language she had never heard before but luckily they understood English and didn't argue with her when she told them what to do and where to lay down their comrades. When she saw none of Director Renfro's personal guards or the Manticore black ops she couldn't help but feel worried for a second; if none of them were here it meant most certainly they were all dead or at least not able to fight at the moment. What if those strange soldiers would turn against her and Cottle? But then again she remembered that Corporal Hayden had been a Manticore black ops himself, maybe there was some sense to this madness after all. When the door was flung open once again she turned around to face the newcomers and saw a few familiar faces approaching, X5-452 and her twin brother, 451, among them.

"Before you even ask" the interrupted them before any of them could say a word, "your teammate is over there and she's gonna make it."

She pointed to the bed where Nova was taking care of Jace who was drifting in and out of consciousness. The bullet had torn a big hole into her lower leg and she had lost a lot of blood but after Nova and Brin had brought her in as one of the first casualties Callen had helped them stop the bleeding and injected her with some painkillers and she would survive. How bad the damage to her leg was nobody could say yet.

"Where is Kara?" Wolf asked after exchanging a glance with Nova and relaxing a little bit at her reassuring nod. After the main part of the fight had been over they had checked on Jondy and Renfro while the AAD and most of the Deltas searched the compound. For now they were arresting everybody they found and brought them to the mess hall until they could be sure there was no danger anymore. The units with Sergeant O'Neill were taking the unconscious X7s to the holding cells; after having sensed Kara's presence there had been no holding back for the youngest X-series generation and eventually they had broken out of their cells. Fortunately the Deltas waiting for them were equipped with stun rounds and thus able to take them out without injuring them. Jondy had told them what had happened when they had checked on her and Renfro after the initial fight had been over and they had run to the infirmary probably faster than ever before. As much as it hurt her to stay behind Jondy had volunteered to remain in Renfro's office to watch the in- and outgoing communication until somebody would be able to relieve her. Renfro, of course, had been brought to a holding cell as well.

"Who's Kara?" the nurse asked puzzled.

"X7-452" another male – X5-494 – answered.

'Ah, they finally gave themselves names' Callen thought and smiled inwardly. 'About damned time!'

"Major Cottle and Corporal Hayden are still operating" she informed them and pointed at the door to the operating room. When Wolf took a step towards the closed door she quickly blocked his way. "What do you think you are doing? I told you, they are operating, you can't go in there now!"

"Get out of my way!" the transgenic growled.

"Don't you dare talking to me like that! I will not let you go in there, none of you!" Callen stated firmly and gave the small group a hard glare. She had been a part of Manticore even before the X5s had been born and although she had often thought about leaving she was still here; from the outside she wouldn't have been able to do anything to help those kids, like this she could at least make their lives a little bit easier when they visited the infirmary. Yes, she definitely knew how to handle transgenics. "And don't even think of looking at me like this, 451! I held you in my arms when you were not even a minute old so don't think for a second you can scare me, young man! If you want that girl to live you stay out of that room and let them work. Try to get in there again and I will make sure you're gonna regret it, do you hear me?"

The transgenics were so taken aback by seeing this rather small woman ranting like that and basically threatening them they were lost for words for a few seconds. Sure, nurse Callen had always been stern when it came to medical treatment but she had also been kind to them in a way not many people had ever been at Manticore and never before they had seen her so angry. But then again they had never tried to defy her before. From her position next to Jace's bed Brin looked at her siblings and the nurse and exchanged an amused grin with Nova before they went back to take care of their injured sister.

"How is she?" Max finally wanted to know in a quiet voice.

"It's bad" Callen replied honestly but she was almost her calm self again. "From what I could see the bullet has caused internal injuries, probably got the liver from the looks of it. But I know the Major, he will do whatever can be done, so don't worry."

Unfortunately she could see her words were unsettling the transgenics even more; she knew from her own experience they totally hated having no clear information but this was all she could offer them for the moment.

"494" she addressed Alec, deciding to change the subject. "You're injured?"

"It's just a scratch" he tried, "I'll be fine."

"Right, and because it's just a scratch you're limping worse than my great-grandfather. Stubborn transgenics!" The nurse shook her head and pointed at an empty chair. "Sit down, I will send a medic to you as soon as one is free."

"I said I'm…"

"And I said sit down!" Callen snapped and narrowed her eyes at him. She was a patient woman but right now she didn't need those stubborn kids questioning her orders. "Do you really want to challenge me after you just witnessed my little discussion with 451? I don't think so!"

"But I…"

"Alec, come on" Max interrupted him softly. "She has more important things to do than to argue with you and somebody needs to take a look at your leg."

"Fine!" he muttered grudgingly after a few moments and she helped him across the room where he sat down obediently.

"Anybody else?" Callen asked the remaining X5s but they shook their heads although that got Blade a sharp look from Ares but she kept hiding her arm from the nurse's sight and gave him a sharp look; she would not stay here just because of that little wound. Artemis had already patched her up before they came here so she was fine and other than Alec's her injury didn't limit her mobility. Lucky for him the Delta got the message and said nothing and the ordinary woman finally nodded.

"Ma'am" an ordinary AAD soldier approached them, looking pointedly at Callen. "We need more morphine."

"Coming" she replied and gave the transgenics a last warning look. "And you don't even think of going in there! As soon as I've got news you will be the first to know."

They watched her leave and for a second Wolf could barely suppress the urge to storm into the other room to see how Kara was doing but he knew the older woman was right; it wouldn't do his younger twin any good.

"What's the plan?" Blade wanted to know, shaking him out of his stupor. He frowned and turned around.

"Let's see what we can do here, Artemis, I want you to…"

"_Delta-26, this is, this is Delta-28"_ Carol's voice interrupted him over the radio. _"All buildings have been searched and all personnel have been arrested and brought to the mess hall. Armory, comm. center and barracks secured. Warning, possible hostiles inside PsyOps, the section has been sealed from inside. Requesting assistance. I think the X5s would be best suited to take care of this, they know better what to expect, over."_

"Two-six, understood, standby" Ares replied and looked at Wolf. "What do you think?"

"Change of plans" the X5 decided. "Artemis: You go to the mess hall and get Cottle's staff back here; Callen could use their help. The rest of you are coming with me. Max?"

"What is it?" she asked and left Alec's side for a moment. A Delta medic was taking care of his leg and to her relief the wound appeared to be less severe than she had dreaded.

"We're going to clean PsyOps" he informed her. Hearing this she visibly hesitated and cast a brief glance over her shoulder at Alec and then looked at the still closed door to the room where Kara was still being operated.

"Wolf…I…" she began but trailed off.

"Max" he said in a surprisingly soft voice and she could see the sympathy in his eyes for once. "I know you want to stay, we all do, but Jondy is still in the Director's office and I need you down there. They will be fine, alright?"

Max sighed and closed her eyes but opened them again after a few seconds and nodded, her lips pressed together into a thin line, and gripped her weapon. She knew he was right and she could also sense he wanted to stay in the infirmary as well but leaving Kara, her younger twin – her younger self – made her even more worried for the girl's well-being.

"Good" her brother nodded. "Let's go!"

In silence they made their way out of the infirmary and to PsyOps. From time to time they encountered a few Deltas or ordinaries from the AAD who were guarding the hallways and sensitive sectors. When they arrived at their destination they were greeted by Carol and her men.

"They have sealed the door and I didn't know if it would be wise to just blow a hole into the wall" the female Delta explained matter-of-factly, "that's why I called you."

"Jondy, what can you tell us about the situation inside, over?" Kyla wanted to know.

"_They've cut of the video feed a few minutes ago"_ Jondy's tired voice answered._ "From what I could see before they did that there are two scientists and two guards inside, over."_

"Cyborgs, over?" Ares asked. He had really seen enough of those guys for one night.

"_Negative, ordinary PsyOps guards. Handguns, tazers and stun batons, over."_

"Understood" Wolf confirmed. "We're going in. Jondy, get somebody to relieve you and report to the infirmary, over!"

Her tired voice and the lack of her usual enthusiasm was worrying him. When they had checked on her she had appeared quite vivid and alright but it seemed like her injury was getting the better of her. Her answer just confirmed his suspicions.

"_Roger that. Over and out."_

"Carol, I want you and your men to stay outside, we can deal with those four guys in there" Wolf said and the blond Delta nodded, relaying his order to her team. The X5 briefly looked at the transgenics would finally put an end to PsyOps' reign – Max, Kyla, Havoc, Blade and Ares – and signaled them to get into position. When they were ready, standing left and right to the steel door he activated the intercom just like Lydecker had done it an eternity ago when they had rescued Max from that hell.

"Whoever is inside, open the door" ordered coldly.

"_Who is this?"_ the rather nervous voice of a man wanted to know and Kyla could see how her mate gritted his teeth; apparently he knew exactly who that man was.

"This is X5-451. Our forces are controlling this base and I'm here to arrest you. Open the door or I order my men to use explosives. You have twenty seconds!"

After a few seconds they could hear a faint and metallic click and slowly the door started to open. Expecting everything and not taking any chances Havoc threw a flashbang grenade and right after the explosion the six transgenics stormed into the room, immobilizing the blinded and stunned guards and scientists with ease. Max threw one of them against the wall and sent another sprawling to the floor. They struggled of course, partly because they were trying to defend themselves and partly out of sheer panic, but after a few seconds they were pinned to the ground and the their hands were roughly handcuffed behind their backs. Lydecker's orders had been clear: Destroy the Alliance commandos but try not to use more force than necessary against all other personnel.

"Get those two out!" he said with disdain an nodded at the two disarmed guards. Ares and Kyla roughly put them to their feet and dragged them outside. Havoc, Blade and Max helped the two scientists to their feet and Wolf couldn't help but stare at one of them with a mixture of hatred, disgust and the urge to kill. It was Ogawa, the scientist who had developed the nanites and who had overseen his reindoctrination. The other one was a guy named Spears, one of Ogawa's assistants. After a while he calmed down just enough to control himself. "Max, get the computer online, you know what we are looking for."

She nodded and did as she was told. After all her training with Jondy and the time where she had tried to figure out how to crack that infamous hard drive together with her sister and Logan she had become even better with computers and would most likely have no problem to find what they needed. If she got enough time, she thought with a frown. "What's the password?"

The two scientists were looking at her with fear but also defiance in their eyes which made both Blade and Wolf growl.

"Don't make me ask you" he warned them darkly, "I won't be that nice about it."

When none of them said a word Blade finally lost her patience and twisted Spears' arm hard enough to break it. The tiny man howled in pain and almost fell down onto his knees but she kept him in her strong grip.

"What's the password?" she hissed into his hear, twisting his injured arm even more. "Tell me or I'll break the other one as well!"

"Genesis" he finally moaned. "It's Genesis."

Max tried and nodded in confirmation when she got full access a few seconds later. She didn't let it show on the outside but Blade's action was affecting her more than she liked to admit. She had seen enough violence and death already.

"Found it" she announced after a while.

"All of it?" Wolf asked and signaled Havoc and Blade to let go off the two scientists. They did as told and pushed the two white-coated men against the wall before stepping back and taking position behind Wolf. In the meantime Max had double-checked the information before she looked up and nodded at her twin brother.

"Yeah, all of it. It looks like a copy of the files has been sent to their headquarters but only one."

"The French are going to take care of that" Havoc reminded them calmly.

"Good. Delete it!" Wolf ordered. Their orders were clear, together with Meyer Lydecker had decided that all information about Ogawa's work and his alternate reindoctrination method had to be destroyed; the danger of the information falling into the wrong hands was just too big and it was a procedure which should never have been invented, not even by Manticore standards.

"What?" Ogawa suddenly exclaimed. He hadn't made a sound the whole time and had continued to stare at Wolf in disbelief. Of course, from his point of view the young transgenic shouldn't be alive anymore. Now he suddenly woke up from his stupor when he saw his work in danger and looked first at Wolf, then at Max with wide eyes. "You cannot…NO!"

He jumped forward and simultaneously Blade and Havoc moved to restrain him again when suddenly a shot rang out and the scientist was hit in the shoulder and thrown back before he fell to the floor with a scream of pain. Wolf looked at him without compassion, the gun still pointed at the Asian man.

"That wasn't necessary, Wolf" Havoc stated, sounding annoyed.

"But it worked. Max?"

"I'm…I'm on it" she replied nervously. "Two minutes."

"Good. Havoc, set the charges, then get Spears out of here. Blade, keep an eye on little Mengele here, the next time he tries something like that I won't aim for his shoulder."

Ogawa however, wasn't even strong enough to get up and Blade doubted he would be able to make it out of the room without help. Meanwhile Havoc set a dozen small charges on the various computer equipment and hard drives. Although Max was deleting the files there was still a chance they were missing something and they weren't going to take any chances. The charges weren't big enough to actually damage the room or even the building, but they were perfect to destroy the computer equipment. When he was done Nova's mate picked up Spears and escorted him out of the room just when Kyla returned. Blade followed him when she saw she wasn't needed anymore.

"Done" Max announced after a while.

"Good. Let's get out."

"You cannot do this!" Ogawa exclaimed, lying on the cold floor and clutching his injured shoulder. "Don't you understand? This isn't just a procedure you're going to destroy. Everything is in there, from the very first day of our research up to the successful end of your reindoctrination, 451."

"Not so successful in my eyes. I'm not your guinea pig anymore" he smirked coldly. "Get him out, Kyla."

The female X5 nodded and helped the scientist to his knees. Unfortunately he didn't stop.

"You're not a guinea pig, 451" Ogawa continued almost pleadingly. "You were our biggest success, much more than we could have hoped for and it was beautiful! Don't you see? This is a whole new level of science, the possibilities are endless. If we manage to get others to the same level we got you to there is no way of telling what we might discover. Imagine how powerful we could make the transgenic race, how much more advanced. And you came back, I have to find out what happened to you so it doesn't happen to others. You must help me, 451, this is a unique chance."

"Oh, I remember what you are capable of" Wolf snarled.

"Progress demands sacrifice" Ogawa stated matter-of-factly and all of a sudden Max sensed how something inside her brother broke loose. He still looked the same, angry maybe but controlled, but she felt what the Asian scientist had said had been too much. "You must not destroy my research, there are endless possibilities and ways we haven't discovered yet. I must continue my work!"

"Max" the male X5 said without any emotion in his voice. "Get out!"

"What are you going to do?" she asked quietly although she already knew the answer. One look into his eyes told her everything she needed to know.

"Following orders. All information must be destroyed." He looked pointedly at Ogawa. "All information."

"This isn't right, Wolf" she objected. "Don't do this."

"Isn't it?" he retorted. "What do you think certain people in our military are going to do once they get their hands on him? You heard him, he won't stop and although the Alliance and Renfro will be gone there are enough people who will happily use his knowledge, perhaps even against us. I can't let that happen. Get out!"

"Wolf…"

"Max!" he interrupted her. "I'm following orders; all data and information must be destroyed, all of it and every source. You have done your job, now I have to do mine. Go!"

It was when he said this that Max understood he had – probably only subconsciously at first – planned this for a long time. He was right, Ogawa was a fanatic and a possible threat and their orders were very clear but it seemed wrong. Nevertheless she knew she was fighting a losing battle, most of all with Kyla in the same room, and finally she nodded briskly and left with her hand clenched into fists.

"Untie him" Wolf told his mate, "then get out."

Kyla followed his instructions silently and she could almost smell Ogawa's growing fear; apparently he finally began to understand what they were talking about. When she walked towards the door she briefly stopped, looked Wolf in the eye and nodded firmly; a simple gesture of approval and confirmation, then she left.

Outside she got aware of the waiting Deltas and most of all her fellow X5s. Blade looked expectant while Havoc leant against the wall next to her and seemed to be mildly displeased but not without understanding. Max, however, stared at her in open anger that she hadn't stopped her mate; they all knew she would have been capable of doing it, he would have listened to her, but she didn't just approve of Wolf's actions, she knew it was the last step for him to regain his life completely and without the memories of his torture and the threat of ever having to go back to this hell. If he didn't do it, she would.

The sound of a shot tore through the silence and made Max flinch and then they heard the noise of a limp body falling to the floor. A few seconds later Wolf emerged from the room and approached them quickly. He was pale and his lips were tightly pressed together, but he looked fine.

"All set?" he wanted to know from Havoc and the demolition expert nodded. Wolf then activated his radio again. "All units, 451. Be advised, controlled explosion in the PsyOps sector is imminent. Out. Do it!"

Nova's mate activated the detonators and in a loud explosion every last bit of information PsyOps had gathered in the previous two years was obliterated forever.

* * *

_Pentagon – Washinton D.C._

"The first units should reach den ordered perimeter in about forty minutes" a Major of Kramer's staff informed the assembled officers. "The Air Force has established a no-flight zone and several more units have been put on alert."

"Good" Kramer nodded. "Tell them not to do anything unless they are attacked!"

"Yes, sir!" The Major saluted and left the room quickly.

"To summarize this whole mess, you have gotten ourselves into, Colonel" Kramer began and pinched the bridge of his nose, "you have helped a foreign military force to attack several targets on United States soil – one of them quite close to our capital – and with your help they were able to gain control of one of our most important military bases?"

"Yes, sir!"

"You know this could be considered to be treason?"

"Yes, sir!"

"And you have helped an operator of the SRTU infiltrate this building" he looked pointedly at Zira. The Delta was still standing behind Lydecker but she had been handcuffed after she had let go of the security guard once Lydecker had been allowed to explain himself to his superiors, "and got her into a position where she would have been able to threaten some of the highest ranking officers of this military?"

"Yes, sir!"

"And now you want us to just lean back and let them have their way?"

"Not entirely, sir."

"Explain!"

"Sirs, at this moment the units who attacked the headquarters of the Alliance and their other bases within our borders are already in evasion and they will leave the country very soon, there is nothing you can do to stop that" Lydecker still looked calm but Tisnewsky could see his old comrade was worried. "The units at the Wyoming facility will hold their position to assure no harm is done to the X-series until they are properly relieved."

"So what, we just tell our troops to march in there and regain control?"

"I wouldn't suggest that, General. If only one of our soldiers tries to enter the compound before the Swiss forces have received a specific code they will defend their positions and eventually go into evasion as well."

"Two companies against our whole military?" another officer chuckled darkly. "Doesn't seem to be fair odds, does it?"

"Two companies consisting of the elite AAD 10 and X5 transgenics, sir" Lydecker reminded him a little bit coldly. "You spent much of our military resources to chase unit two and myself after we escaped from Manticore and you didn't catch us. Even if you will eventually get some of them it wouldn't end well and besides that, with all due respect, sir, it would be plain stupidity. Those soldiers are not our enemies, they're allies and they just neutralized a serious threat to this country's security."

"What are you suggesting then, Colonel?" Kramer didn't like the whole situation at all but he had to admit this on/off renegade/loyal officer had a point. If those forces went into evasion chasing them would be like searching the proverbial needle in a haystack.

"Allow me to send the all clear signal and allow the Swiss forces to leave. Unit two will remain inside the compound until our regular armed forces arrive and assume control of the installation. From that point forward you will be in control of Manticore again and we will all be able to calm down and reassess the situation." Lydecker really hoped they would do as he proposed, anything else could lead them to a disaster. "The members of the Alliance who were captured on US soil will be delivered to our justice and all foreign operatives will leave the country without any more blood spilt."

"What about the US citizens who were killed during this operation?"

"They betrayed their country" the old Colonel retorted quickly and rather coldly. "I'd say killing them has saved us a lot of money for unnecessary trials."

Kramer looked at him and seemed deeply in thoughts.

"You're not really thinking about this, are you?" one of his fellow Generals exclaimed. "They attacked us!"

"Not us" Kramer replied without taking his eyes off Lydecker for a second. "They wiped out a global threat to the security of our nation in a single night, not something I would call easy. As strange as it sounds, it seems to me like we should be grateful. I don't say I like it, but I appreciate what they have done."

"They should have informed us, for God's sake!"

"Careful, Mark" Kramer warned his comrade. "You are out of line. And I can fully understand why they did not inform us. For the last decade this building hasn't been known for keeping its secrets exactly secret, the fact that General Kovacs isn't among us at the moment should be proof enough for this fact."

"Sir, if I might" Tisnewsky interjected. "Sooner or later the media will pick this up and we will have a public hysteria at our hands if we don't start preparing and analyzing the evidence Colonel Lydecker has brought us. We cannot change what has already been done but now we should ready ourselves for some very unpleasant questions. We won't stop the operatives which are already in evasion and I don't see the point in attacking the units in Wyoming. They have done us a favor and are only asking for safe passage in exchange. Why don't we let the politicians take care of this later and concentrate our resources on containment for now?"

"I agree" Kramer nodded and briefly exchanged glances with his comrades who – some after a short hesitation – all nodded, even the one who had objected to the plan a minute ago. "Very well, Colonel, it looks like we are following your lead for the moment, but make no mistake: Before I agree to anything I want to know that all our men are alive and well. Our forces will remain on full alert and if one of your new buddies tries to stab us in the back he will find out that the United States are still capable of leveling a country to the ground if they have to, are we clear?"

Lydecker exchanged a look with Zira and the Delta nodded barely noticeable; she had continued to watch the American officers, their body language, their reactions, breathing and eye movements. For now they appeared to tell the truth. She nodded silently and Lydecker breathed a small sigh of relief. "Crystal, sir!"

"Good. The I suppose this would be a good time to get in contact with Wyoming. Meanwhile I want everybody from the SecDef to the President informed about this. That's gonna be one hell of a busy week, gentlemen!"

* * *

_Manticore Headquarters – Gilette, Wyoming_

"She's stable" Hayden said in a low voice as if he was afraid to disturb the wounded in the beds around them. Most of them were asleep, though, and those who weren't were too drugged, self-absorbed or tired to complain. Perhaps it was just that he feared that if the talked to loudly the small girl they were watching through the glass would wake up. Kara's body was covered with a white blanket and her face looked peaceful and at ease but they all knew it was just the drugs that kept her sedated. Nurse Callen who was checking her IV briefly gave them a reassuring nod before she returned to her duties. "We've stopped the bleeding and patched her up; according to Cottle she should make a full recovery, but it was close call."

Unit two, with the exception of Jace, were listening to his words in silence. Jondy had her uninjured arm wrapped around Max's shoulders and Alec stood so close to her their hips touched. None of the X5s could take their eyes off the young X7. A close call, what an understatement. Of all of them the youngest had been injured the most severely. Alec and Jondy and Blade had been patched up and were almost good to go again, the others had some scratches and bruises but nothing too severe. Only Jace's injury – while not life-threatening – was really serious and she was being operated by Cottle and his team in another room. That shouldn't have happened, Kara had not been supposed to get into a fight against an Alliance commando, all of them had sworn that they would do whatever they could to prevent that. But it had happened nevertheless. Murphy's Law.

"You did nothing wrong" O'Neill broke the uncomfortable silence. The transgenics looked disheartened and he knew he had to shake them out of their stupor before they started questioning themselves and their actions. They needed to remain focused. "We have wounded, some of them quite seriously, but they are gonna live. This is much more than we could have hoped for. Kara knew of the danger and yet she decided to participate; this is nobody's fault so keep your heads up."

"Easy for you to say!" Max whispered. She regretted her words immediately but it was too late to take them back. She knew how close O'Neill and Hayden had gotten to her younger twin and insulting one of them was certainly not what she really wanted to do but after everything she had witnessed this night watching the unmoving form of the little girl was almost too much for her. Before she could apologize, however, Ares rounded the corner and approached them quickly.

"We have established a perimeter and sent out scouts, the US Army has already deployed the response units. Jondy, Max I need you in the comm. center; we are trying get access to the British satellite. Ares, Kyla, you are needed in Renfro's office, we have an incoming call from Washington."

"Coming" was Wolf's automatic reply but before he could make one step Max roughly grabbed him by his vest.

"Can't you just stop acting like a heartless bastard?" she hissed angrily, her eyes aflame with sudden rage. "We almost lost Kara and Jace!"

"Almost. They're gonna be fine, but only if we keep doing our job." He seemed calm but everybody else could see his own worry and anxiety. Max, however, in her anger didn't notice.

"So this means nothing to you?" she exclaimed with a mixture of disbelief, anger and disgust. "You had your revenge and that's it?"

"Careful, Max, it means a lot to me!" he warned her a little bit more forcefully. "But there is no absolute safety, you know that. Keep yourself together or what Kara and everybody else has done and sacrificed tonight will have been for nothing!"

For a second Max was so stunned by his words – in her ears they sounded more like a hidden accusation – she didn't know what to say, then her rage took over. Before anybody could have reacted she slapped her brother so hard he stumbled back. Some of her siblings gasped in shock, others just stared at her in disbelief. She stood there like rooted to the spot for a few more seconds until Wolf shook his head as if to get rid of his dizziness and then looked at her. There was no anger in his eyes, no reproval ; the look he was giving her was one of compassion and understanding but also of slight disappointment. She stared at him, shocked by her own actions, before she turned her back on him and started running towards the entrance. Alec wanted to follow her but Kyla held him back.

"Give her a minute" she advised him. "She doesn't want you to see her like this."

"How do you know?" he snapped.

"Because I wouldn't want Wolf to see me like this" the shorthaired transgenic simply stated. "Give her a minute. Wolf?"

"She'll be back" he said coldly. "You know what to do. Get to work!"

Without waiting for an answer he turned on his heel and together with Kyla and Ares disappeared towards Renfro's office. Jondy hesitated for a moment, then sighed in exasperation and started making her way towards the comm. center. The other X5s slowly left as well to wherever they could lend and hand and Alec was left on his own. Kyla's words were still ringing in his ears and as much as he hated it he had to admit she was right; Max would want a few minutes alone to calm down. Well, he hoped he had waited long enough, he thought grimly, as he slowly started walking towards the entrance where she had disappeared. Somehow he knew exactly where to find her.

"You took your time!" they were greeted by Major Linder's impatient voice when they entered the room. The AAD commander was standing behind Renfro's desk and gave them a weird glance.

"Family trouble" Ares shrugged.

"Right" the ordinary snorted. "As if we had time for that. Get your lazy butts over here!"

For a split second Kyla felt like snapping at the older man but she bit back the sharp response; he was just doing his job and he was right, they really didn't have the time for their private problems. Without a word the three transgenics went to the Major's side and looked at the black screen. Linder nodded at one of his officers and the man quickly established the connection and opened a channel to accept the call. The screen lit up and after a few seconds they could see a room full of high-ranking officers and to their relief Lydecker and Zira as well.

"_This is General Francis Kramer"_ one of the officers spoke up. _"United States Armed Forces. And you are?"_

"I'm the commanding officer of the Swiss AAD 10, rank is Major" Linder replied. "My name is not of importance, sir. I presume you're calling to assess the situation?"

"_That would be correct."_ If Kramer was angered because Linder so bluntly told him that he was not in charge of Manticore anymore he didn't show it.

"The Alliance forces have been neutralized, all other base personnel are under arrest and Director Renfro is currently in a holding cell, sir." The Major's voice was void of any emotion. "We have established a perimeter and are currently fortifying our position."

"_Fortifying? Are you awaiting an attack, Major?"_

"Isn't that exactly one of your plans, sir?" Linder allowed himself a brief and humorless smile. "You and I know you are considering that option. I would certainly be thinking about it if I were in your position. By the way, perhaps I should mention that we have gained control of this base's armory as well."

Manticore's armory had always been equipped with almost everything, from standard infantry weapons to explosives, heavy anti-armor "Javelins" and stinger rockets; the X-series had to be trained in every aspect of modern warfare after all. Right now Deltas and AADs were equipping themselves with everything they thought could be useful in case their primary plan failed and they were going head-to-head with the US Army. It wouldn't be enough to actually drive them back but if the Americans thought they were easy prey they would be severely disappointed. Kramer, however, remained unaffected.

"_I have already thought you might try this. Let's not jump the gun on this one, this is not what you planned and it is not what I want to do. Well, to be honest, for a few minutes I wanted to do it and forgive me my bluntness, I would still like to kick your ass out of that base, our base by the way. But apparently there is a little bit more to this story than the first impression would make you believe. I suppose you have a proposition, Major?"_

"Yes, sir, I do. We will maintain our current position for the next thirty-six hours. Then two Hercules transport planes of the British Royal Air Force will land at the Gilette airport and all SRTU and AAD personnel will leave onboard these planes; the former Manticore operatives of unit two will remain on site until it has been confirmed that both airplanes have safely left US air space. At that point your forces arrive to take control of this facility."

"_Why should we let you go? You attacked us!" _Somehow neither Kramer nor any other man or woman in the room looked surprised; it seemed like they had already been informed about this plan, Kyla thought. _"What you did could be considered to be an act of war."_

"We didn't attack you, we attacked the Alliance" Linder corrected. "Sir, I'm well aware that this is a delicate and most of all complex situation but rest assured that we have no intention of attacking the US or any of its allies. All of the base's personnel are unharmed and treated well. I don't know all the reasons that got my superiors to decide not to inform you about our operation, but it isn't my place to ask either. Sir, as I see it, you have three options: You can choose to attack us which will lead to my men going into evasion. We are mobile and few enough to do this and all of our wounded can be transported. You can also wait until we are on the British planes and shoot them down at which point you won't only have my countries retaliation at your hands but also those of Great Britain. Or you can chose to let us go which will result in you regaining control over this facility without further bloodshed and diplomatic actions remaining possible, sir."

"_You realize that you will be arrested as soon as we enter that facility?"_ Kramer asked but the question was not directed at Linder but at the two X5s.

"Yes, sir, we do" Wolf nodded. He didn't like the idea at all, but he also knew there was no other possibility if they ever wanted to clean their names. "Once we have received the all-clear signal from the Hercules we will surrender and hand over this installation. We…we just want to come home, sir."

This last statement caused some surprised looks from most of t the joint chiefs but they remained silent.

"_If everything Colonel Lydecker has told us is true that might be a possibility after all"_ Kramer stated after a short pause but he remained stern and addressed Linder again. "_And if we choose to follow your plan, how can you be sure we won't betray you?"_

"That would be up to your 'guests'" Linder looked at Lydecker and Zira. "Colonel?"

"_I have already filled them in about our extraction plan, Major"_ Lydecker answered the unspoken question, confirming Kyla's suspicion. _"For now they agree and currently the SecDef and his staff are being informed. It looks good."_

"Code?"

"_Dark Tempest."_ Wolf tried to remain stoic but couldn't fully hide his relief. It was the right code, so Lydecker really was sure the US military wasn't going to stab them in the back. At his side he could feel how Kyla relaxed a little bit as well.

"What about you, Zira?" Linder hadn't reacted at all to Lydecker's revelation and his eyes were fixed on the female Delta. She was still in handcuffs which certainly didn't help to ease the ordinary officer's alertness. Zira had to give the all clear signal herself and she had been assigned another codeword, just in case somebody came to the great conclusion torturing Lydecker would be a good idea.

"_I agree with the Colonel, Major"_ the shorthaired woman said calmly. _"Code Green Lightning."_

Linder sighed in relief and closed his eyes for a brief moment as much of the pressure and stress he had been feeling for the last weeks was suddenly lifted from his shoulders.

"_I take this as a good sign, Major?"_ Kramer asked with a small grind and even over the video-link his amusement was very well audible.

"It is, General, it is." For the first time the AAD commander really smiled. "It looks like everybody is gonna win in this, after all. Well, everybody save the Alliance."

"_Looks like it. Just don't try anything stupid, we wouldn't like that at all, you get me?"_ Kramer's voice was still almost friendly but there was a warning undertone in it.

"Getting you loud and clear, sir, and I wouldn't dream of it. I suggest we make contact every hour from now on to assure each side is accurately informed."

"_I agree. Next contact in sixty minutes, stay put. Pentagon out!"_

The screen went black and for about a minute nobody in the room said a word and all eyes were on the Major.

"What do you think, Major?" one of the present Captains finally dared to ask. "Will they do it?"

"Let's hope so, it sure looks like it. But stay on alert anyway, until I'm sitting in that plane and am heading home I won't let my guard down." He looked at the three transgenics. "Let's hope Lydecker and most of all Zira are reading them correctly, if not we're in a lot of trouble."

"Zira has never been wrong so far, Major" Ares mused quietly. "She's doing it right."

"Let's hope so" Linder said again. "Alright, the whole base has been secured, my men are currently establishing a perimeter and our scouts are already in position. My units are still quite fresh, they didn't have a lot of fighting to do, yours did. Make sure the Deltas get some rest and from what you look like you could use some of it as well. We will start rotations in five hours."

"Understood, sir!" The three young soldiers saluted and left the room immediately. On their way to the barracks, where most of the transgenics were waiting for orders, they relayed their new information over wireless which got them a few satisfied and almost joyful responses. Transgenics were used to work without much sleep – even none at all if necessary – but after a battle of that intensity they all felt how their exhausted bodies demanded some kind of rest. A few hours of sleep or even just not having to be on your guard for a while were very welcome. When they arrived at the barracks most of their fellow transgenics were already curled up next to each other, some of them just lying on the ground in their full battle gear or leaning against the wall, while a few were standing guard to assure their siblings' safety. They briefly informed the platoon and squad leaders about the current situation before they left for some shuteye as well. Ares quickly found Blade amongst some other members of unit two and they disappeared outside. Kyla watched them leave with a tiny smile and shook her head before she exchanged a glance with Wolf. He grinned and briefly finished his talk with the rest of his unit – Jondy was still in the comm. center and Max and Alec were somewhere else as well – before he left the building together with his mate. Havoc grumbled something about lovebirds before he went back to sleep in Nova's arms and Artemis chuckled quietly.

* * *

Blade led Ares to her old barrack. The entrance was guarded by three AAD soldiers who eyed them curiously but informed them calmly that the building had already been searched and was clear. They entered and for a few minutes Blade just kept walking around aimlessly, checking a few things here and there. It looked just like she remembered it from the day they had left. Apparently Renfro had their old quarters sealed immediately after their escape. However, everything was clean – an indicator that even here the base's staff had been cleaning up from time to time. Good old Manticore, she thought with a small and sarcastic grin.

Ares just kept watching her in silence. She looked somewhat melancholic but strangely happy at the same time; she was finally home again.

Finally they arrived at her old cell and she opened the door with no little hesitation and slowly stepped inside the room. Everything was exactly where she had left it and her old quarters looked so familiar and yet so strange. She opened her locker and took out one of her few private possessions, an persian dagger she had brought home from one of her missions and had been allowed to keep. She eyed the polished blade and carefully caressed it as if she was afraid it would break if she added too much pressure.

"Your old quarters?" Ares asked. She looked at him with a happy gleam in her eyes and nodded at which he grinned. "Looks a lot like ours."

"It does, actually." She smiled and put the dagger back and closed the locker. "So, what now?"

"We have almost five hours left, you should try to get some sleep." He knew that unlike many of her siblings the Asian X5 didn't have any shark but snake DNA. This made her unusually fast but she needed more sleep than the others. Not that he minded, he loved watching her when she was asleep. Blade seemed to think about his idea for a few seconds but then shook her head.

"No, first things first. I'm gonna take a shower!" she decided.

"Come again?"

"A shower. You know, water flowing over your body, washing away dirt and sweat?"

"I know what you mean but…now?"

"The base is secured and the entrance is guarded. Besides, we don't know when we're gonna get some free time again."

"And since when do you mind a little dirt?" He was still a little bit perplex.

"I don't mind getting dirty" she corrected him as she opened her locker again – luckily even her old uniforms were still there. "But if I have a choice I like being clean a lot more, you know. It's perhaps because of my feline DNA. And besides that, I'm a girl."

"I've noticed that" he grinned wryly. "But you don't even know if there will be flowing water."

"Now who's being dirty?" she teased him. "We'll see about the water once we get there. And if you're so concerned for my safety you can come with me and stand guard."

"I'll never understand you women" he sighed.

"Look who's talking" she muttered under her breath as she turned towards the door with a clean uniform and a towel on her arms. "Move it, Mister!"

"Bossy!" he grinned.

"Wuss!" she retorted just as quickly. They laughed and quickly made their way to the showers. To an outsider and most certainly even some transgenics their behavior would have been weird, joking and laughing so shortly after a battle but to them it was natural. The fight was over, none of their siblings or comrades had died and mulling over it wouldn't do them any good anyway so why not just enjoy the time they had? Fortunately the showers still worked and with triumphant grin the Asian X5 elbowed her Delta partner in the ribs.

"Told you!" she smirked. Then, with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, she undressed and stepped under the hot stream of water and moaned in delight. "Gods, this feels good!"

Ares was leaning against the wall next to entrance to the shower room and kept watching here with a attentive but also happy expression on his face. After a while she looked at him and tilted her head to one side before she signaled him to come closer. He grinned and shook his head. With a mildly annoyed groan she stepped out of the showers and approached him casually, drops of water running down her perfect body, making her tanned skin glisten and her lips twitched in a coy smile. Ares straightened up and swallowed visibly but didn't move. When she stood right before him she reached out and caressed his cheek before her hand slipped behind his neck and she forced him to bend forward and kissed him.

"Come" she whispered but he pressed his lips together and cast a glance at the door, seemingly torn between his desire to comply and his sense of duty.

"The base has been secured and your men are guarding this building, relax" she assured him with a tiny smile. She admired this dedication, this conscientiousness of his, but for once he was going to let go of that for a moment, she would make sure of it. "Come."

"Carol?" he spoke into his throat micro. She was right; they were off-duty and as strange as it sounded, after all this fighting he craved to have her near her, to hear the beat of her heart and to feel her against himself, alive and well. "This is Ares, I will be offline for about thirty minutes, how copy?"

"_Solid copy"_ the blond Delta's reply came quickly. _"What's your position, over?"_

"Only thirty minutes?" Blade asked mischievously and tried to steal another kiss.

"Barrack two" Ares informed his fellow transgenic but gasped when the Asian X5 flicked her tongue over the sensitive skin of his neck. "Over."

"_Roger. Are you alright? You sound strange, over."_

"I'm alright, just tired. Over and out." He terminated the connection and shook his head with a smirk. "You are unbelievable, little X5!"

"Oh, you have no idea" she replied with a sly grin.

She started undressing him slowly and almost playfully. When they stepped under the hot water together their lips met again and for a long time they just continued to explore each other's body like they were together for the first time and teased each other in soft and playful and yet ultimately loving ways. Hands roamed over bodies, caressed sensitive skin, eliciting small chuckles and giggles, moans and whimpers of pleasure and murmured words of love.

Finally Blade stopped and pressed her naked body tightly against his.

"This is our last night" she whispered sadly and felt how he tensed.

"No, it isn't! I will come back to you" he objected sharply but didn't sound as convinced as usually. They had both known this moment would come, where she would remain with her fellow X5s while he had to go back to Fortress Delta. They had known it for a long time but it still hurt and none of them could say for sure what was going to happen once the US military took control of Manticore again. Maybe they would have to spend months apart or even longer. "I know it might take a while but I will come back. I promise, Blade!"

She looked at him for a long time, before she nodded and a tiny smile appeared on her face again. She suddenly felt like a little bit feverish; she wasn't sure where that feeling was coming from but her whole body suddenly seemed warmer, almost hot, and she was panting slightly.

"I believe you" she said quietly but with the utmost trust and her smile grew and the happy gleam in her eyes slowly began to return. "But this will be our last night together for some time nevertheless, so I think we should make it last, what do you say?"

Ares didn't say anything, he just grinned happily and kissed her again, feeling strangely excited himself but in a positive way.

* * *

_Fortress Delta – Switzerland_

"_Report!"_ General Shepperd's face was a stern mask of concentration but even over the live video feed both Meyer and Coleman could see she was tired.

"_All mission objectives accomplished, minimal casualties"_ Colonel Galland reported. _"Our units have executed the exfiltration and are on their way home._"

"_Missions accomplished, minimal losses"_ the German, Korten, confirmed as well. _"Exfiltration in progress."_

"Mission accomplished, minimal casualties" the Delta CO informed the British General with a nod. "The AAD has reported that they have full control of the Wyoming facility and are digging in as we speak. Contact with Colonel Lydecker has been established and we're waiting for the results. If necessary an exfiltration is still possible."

"_Very good."_ Elizabeth Shepperd sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. _"My forces have accomplished their missions as well and are heading home, minimal casualties."_

Minimal casualties. It was so easy to say those words – after all they suggested the prize you had to pay was low – but the experienced officers knew that every single death meant a lot to the people who had known the fallen soldier, be it a transgenic or an ordinary, that every life lost caused grief and sorrow. Meyer straightened up.

"How are we going to proceed, General?"

"_Well, the ambassadors of over a dozen countries are going to start appearing at our governments' doors in less than a few hours, I think, but that's none of our problem"_ the British SRTU commander mused. _"For now we stick to the plan and wait until we know what's going on in Gilette. The AAD has gotten access to our satellite so they should know what's going on around them and can pull out if needed. If we don't hear anything from Lydecker or the Americans in the next four hours we will rethink our tactics. Let's meet again in two hours, I could use a coffee and you, gentlemen, apparently do so as well. Shepperd out!"_

One after the other the SRTU commanders excused themselves and the screens went black. Once they were not connected to their allies anymore a collective sigh could be heard in the room and all operators suddenly looked relieved and also a little bit proud. Although the operation wasn't nearly at its end they all knew that they had just written history and successfully accomplished the most complex and difficult covert operation in human military history.

"What's the situation of our casualties in Gilette, Captain?" Coleman wanted to know. He had been trying to get that piece of information right before Shepperd had interrupted them.

"Several wounded, both AAD and transgenics" Captain Sehler informed him, "but no KIA, sir."

"Thank God!" the Major sighed and heavily sat down.

"I told you they would be able to do it" Meyer said matter-of-factly and the pride in the older man's voice was unmistakable. "They are the best."

* * *

Max was staring into the dark night, unmoving and not making a sound, and asked herself what was going to happen next. She had come to the one place she hoped would give her some much needed peace and perhaps provide her with some answers; the High Place. Over ten years ago it had been here where they had prayed to the Blue Lady, had asked her for protection and help. And it had also been here – after Ben had suggested it – where they had started to…

No! She shook her head and growled silently, feeling angry at herself for letting her thoughts wander to that fateful night.

Ben. She missed her brother, she missed all of them so much. Of course, she had Jondy and Brin of her old unit, she had been friends with Blade and Artemis from the very first day and by now she considered everyone in unit to as siblings, just like Krit and Syl and the rest of the '09ers, perhaps even more because she knew more about them. And she loved her twin siblings, Wolf and Kara, in a way she hadn't even known it existed before she had met them. But she couldn't forget how much it had cost them to get this far, to this night and the Alliance's demise. Nitro, Bear. And in a way Ben as well. All of their wounded, their pain and sorrow and loss; just why did all of this have to happen to them?

Those thoughts had been nagging at her for some time now but most of all the images she had seen tonight wouldn't leave her mind. It wasn't the fighting; she had done that before and she surely didn't like it, but she could live with it. It was the combat models. Until now that had just been a description, a name for a group of transgenics who were more skilled in direct combat, most of all in hand-to-hand and close quarter fighting. But it was more, she realized. It wasn't just their physical ability to react quicker to an opponent's moves or their natural skill with almost every firearm; it was their fierceness, they way they fought as well, their ruthlessness in combat.

Wolf had it, Kyla and Blade as well and in a way so did Artemis. And of course most of the Deltas were combat models, too. It had been Ares' behavior and actions tonight which had made her realize for the first time how big the difference between herself and some of her siblings actually was. She could understand him; she didn't want to imagine what she would have done if Hayden and Cottle had not been able to save Kara; even like this she had hit Wolf. Another thing that was disturbing her. He had been right, everything he had said was the truth and yet the way he had said it had been too much for her self-control. She knew she would have to apologize. But yes, she understood Ares although what he had done almost scared her; she had never seen this side in him before. But what frightened her most was that deep inside a tiny little bit of her conscience didn't just understand what the Delta had done but approved his actions. Her emotions were going rampant at the moment and she was barely able to focus on a single thought before other questions surfaced in her mind. She suddenly felt like she didn't know some of her brothers and sisters anymore, part of her still saw them as the caring siblings they were, but another part couldn't forget what she had seen tonight, how she had witnessed as the predators within her family had broken lose and collected the Alliance's blood-debt. It was like she didn't know who exactly they were, like she didn't know herself anymore. Was her family falling apart? Again? She couldn't – mustn't – let that happen! They had sacrificed so much for each other and yet…and all because of Renfro, because of the Alliance, because there were people who hated them just for what they were. They hadn't asked to be born as transgenics…they hadn't…it wasn't…

All of a sudden Max began to tremble, her hands were clenched into fists and her breathing quickened until she was almost hyperventilating. Her thoughts were a chaos of anxiety, anger, worry, fear and hatred and she almost felt like exploding. Suddenly she threw her head back and screamed at the top of her lungs. She screamed until her throat felt sore and her body suddenly felt weak and exhausted. She fell to her knees and was barely able to suppress a sob. She just felt so empty. Empty and tired.

"All units, this is 494" she heard a quiet voice from behind her but didn't have the strength to turn around. "No hostile activity, I've got it covered. Yes, it's her. No. Yes, I'm with her. Out."

She sensed how he approached her slowly but still didn't turn around. She hadn't even heard when he had arrived on the rooftop which was pretty impressive if you considered his injury. When she realized her screaming had probably alarmed everybody on the base again and that his quick reaction over radio had saved her from answering some very embarrassing questions she almost laughed. Everything around her suddenly felt so surreal.

"What are you doing here, Alec?" Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.

"I like the view" he quipped but for once there was none of the usual sarcasm in his voice, only some sort of cautious worry. "Are you okay?"

Max made a noise that sounded like some sort of chocked sob and Alec regretted his question immediately.

"Come here" he knelt down at her side and tried to pull her into a hug but she refused and pushed him away. "Now, don't be stubborn, Maxie, I want to help you. Come here, let me help."

He tried again and pulled her closer when finally and without a warning her last resistance and self-control broke. She fell into his arms and sobbed against his chest, her whole body shaking and trembling.

"Don't cry, Maxie" Alec whispered soothingly. He was still holding her close. "Kara's gonna be alright."

"It isn't just Kara" she chocked between sobs. "It's all of us!"

"What do you mean?" he asked her quietly. With one hand he started to draw small circles between her shoulder blades; he knew this always helped her relax. She didn't answer and he didn't press her. He just kept holding her close and tried to offer her as much comfort as he could, whispering soothing words into her ear all the time. Finally she calmed down a little bit and just lay in his arms, barely moving at all. When she began to talk her voice was so low he had to pay attention and listen carefully. She told him everything. Her fears for Kara, how what she had seen this night disturbed her and how much she worried about all of her siblings, of losing them, of losing him. How much it disturbed her seeing some of their brothers and sisters behaving like bloodthirsty animals and how much she dreaded her family to fall apart and how insecure she felt because of Wolf's and Kyla's apparent coldness.

"I've never seen them like this" she whispered. "I saw them fight and kill before but not like this. Not like this."

"I have" he said quietly. For the first time she looked up at him and he cringed at the pained look in her eyes but he forced himself to answer her unspoken question nevertheless. "When we were about thirteen years old a young instructor shot Kyla in the stomach by accident. It hadn't been his intention to hurt her, it was just a stupid accident, but it took four of us to hold Wolf back nevertheless. Fortunately neither Coleman nor Lydecker ever heard of it and the trainer was too scared to talk. Wolf has always been like this, so protective. He didn't mind if it was him who got hurt or injured but if it was one of us he could barely hold himself together and the others, Blade and Kyla, they are exactly the same. It is what they are."

"What?" Max barked a bitter laugh. "Trained animals?"

"No!" His sharp response made her stop immediately. "They're not animals, none of us is, don't you ever say or even think that again!"

He sighed and wiped the tears of her cheeks before he continued much calmer again.

"We are what we are. We have been raised and trained as soldiers and thus our instincts are those of soldiers." He allowed himself a tiny smile. "Of course we behave a little bit more feral from time to time but that doesn't make us animals. The combat models were made for fighting, it's what they know doing best but that doesn't mean they don't feel exactly like the rest of us. They, most of all Wolf and Ares, have been holding back their anger for a very long time because they knew it was necessary for all of us to complete our mission. Tonight they just had to let go and vent that anger. Wolf always felt responsible when something happened to one of us, even if there had been nothing he could have done to prevent it. This makes him a great CO but it also makes him vulnerable and sometimes he has to let go which isn't always a pretty sight. I think you can understand that, don't you?"

After a long time Max reluctantly nodded. She had known all this before but actually hearing somebody else say it out loud made it easier to accept and most of all easier to believe.

"They are not as cold as they would like us to believe. I know they're worried about Kara and about everybody else just as much as the rest of us. Do you remember how Wolf reacted when Bear asked him if Nitro's death meant nothing to him?"

Max almost shuddered when she thought back of that night; it had been the first time she had seen her brother so utterly vulnerable. She nodded again.

"So you see" Alec said with a small but nevertheless reassuring smile. "He does care, they all do, but in their position they can't show it, most of all not Wolf and Kyla as our leaders. Ares is in a similar position and Blade has always been very close to all of them. Once this battle is finally and completely over they will allow themselves to relax, but not before."

"I guess you are right" she finally agreed barely audible. It felt good to hear him saying all those things, to assure her everything was going to be alright and the tiny bits of hope she had been clinging to were the truth.

"Of course I am right" he confirmed with a little bit of that Alec-like cockiness, not enough of it to anger her or make her feel like he didn't take her worries seriously, but enough to ease the situation a little bit. She couldn't help but laugh quietly against his chest as she slung her arms around his waist and tried to just accept his closeness and the comfort of his presence.

"I guess I will have to apologize for slapping him" she mused.

"Later" he replied kindly. "He knows you didn't really mean it and he has been hit worse by Kyla. He'll survive."

She chuckled softly, still sounding a little bit sad but not as bad as only minutes ago. Finally she lifted her head a little bit and looked him in the eye.

"Alec…can we just…stay up here for a little while? I don't want to face the others right now."

"Of course, Maxie, of course." He shifted a little bit to make both of their positions more comfortable but never let go of her. Finally he was sitting on the ground and leaning against the wall while her head was still against his chest and he was holding her around her waist with one arm. He kept caressing her silky hair and listened to her heartbeat and much calmer breathing.

"Thank you" she whispered with her eyes closed. "For…being there for me, you know."

"I've told you before, Max, I always will be" he reassured her again. She smiled and suddenly felt like perhaps everything was going to be alright after all. She opened her eyes again and gave him a light kiss which he returned softly. It was only a few minutes later when her shallow breathing and her relaxing muscles told Alec that she had fallen asleep.

* * *

Outside the main building Wolf and Kyla were standing next to each other and stared into the cold night. After the battle, the shooting and the explosions the whole compound seemed so utterly quiet it almost hurt their ears.

"So she finally had her outburst" Kyla stated calmly, looking towards where Max's scream had come from not a minute ago. After they had heard their sister's outburst they almost rushed to her when Alec's radio call held them back. He was with her and that would be enough, they were sure of it."About time."

"Everybody has limits" Wolf said in the same monotone voice. "She has seen things which aren't easy to accept. You know her, she just feels most things…differently than we do and more intensely. The '09ers are like that, except for Brin perhaps. I guess Max just held back a little bit too long. And why finally? She had it in the infirmary already."

"What? Because she hit you?" Kyla laughed. "Come on, you've got worse from me!"

"Definitely" he grinned briefly but became serious in the blink of an eye. "But she's right, this shouldn't have happened."

"What? Your twin sister slapping you around?" the shorthaired X5 shot her mate an amused glance but when she saw how insecure he looked all of a sudden her face hardened. "Now you listen to me! What happened to the kid is none of your fault, or Max's or Jondy's or anybody else's. If you start to blame yourself for that the little slap you got from Max will be nothing compared to what I'm gonna do to you, do you hear me? We were in the middle of a battle and there people get hurt sometimes, you know that, so get it through your thick skull already!"

"I know, it just doesn't make me feel any better."

"I didn't say you should be happy about it" Kyla snapped. "Just don't feel responsible for it. We did what had to be done and Kara's gonna be back on her feet sooner than you think, so stop brooding already!"

"I guess you're right" he agreed after a moment of silence.

"Of course I'm right" she muttered under her breath. "Why do I always have to get angry at you before you can accept the truth? Stupid, stubborn men!"

"But you are beautiful when you're angry" he replied with a tiny grin.

"Don't change the topic!" she growled but couldn't suppress a smile herself. After a moment she sighed theatrically and shook her head. "And here they go and say woman were complicated. Right! Just don't expect me to pull a Blade, alright?"

They both snickered; they had noticed how Blade and Ares had disappeared into their old barrack and it didn't take a genius to guess those two weren't just going there to talk.

"Let them" Wolf finally advised his mate. "They'll be separated for some time. Once the Army arrives he has to go back."

Kyla snorted and he looked at her in surprise.

"What?"

"Do you really believe he's just gonna leave her like that?" she asked him almost sounding a little bit impatient. "I know they have not claimed each other yet but hello? It's not like it wouldn't be obvious those two are destined for each other."

"You think he's gonna try something stupid?"

"No. I have spent a lot of time with him and he would never endanger a mission because of his personal feelings." Kyla frowned when she remembered how Ares had come with them when they were on their rogue recon mission. "But I also know that he can be as stubborn as a mule once he's set his mind on something and he has clearly set both mind and heart on Blade. So, stupid? No, but I'm pretty sure he's going to do something. He's a lot like you."

"We'll see. And a lot like me? Do I have to be jealous?"

"Not in this life" she retorted with a mischievous smile he returned quickly. It had been a rhetorical question, both of them knew that. They still didn't know everything about the claiming and being mates but they knew they would - could – never betray the other. Kyla reached into a pocket of her tactical vest and took out a packet of cigarettes. She lit one for herself and then offered him another. At his hesitant glance she chuckled.

"It was a successful mission, so don't even argue with me. Do me a favor and take one, it's been a while since I could do this. There are wounded but they will all survive so we will be alright. And we just kicked the Alliance's collective asses."

"And Renfro's" he added with a small nod before he lit his own cigarette as well and inhaled deeply.

"Especially Renfro's" Kyla agreed. For a while they just stood there and smoked in silence before she spoke up again. "Are you alright?"

She didn't sound worried or even anxious, she just wanted him to confirm what she was pretty sure of already: That he had finally buried the last remnants of his nightmares and that from now on she wouldn't have to worry about him anymore to suddenly become the insecure and shaken soldier he had been after they had freed him or that he would start blaming himself for things that were not his fault.

"I am" he nodded firmly. "It took me a while, but I am now. Thanks to you."

"I wasn't alone" she reminded him.

"No, but it was you who brought me back. Without you I would still be a cold and empty shell. You reminded me of who I really am and for that I will never be able to thank you enough."

"Yes, you can" she objected softly and stepped closer. She swallowed and tried not to show how much his confession affected her. "I don't want to lose you. I wouldn't know what to do without you, so promise me you'll never again do something as stupid as in Strasbourg."

"Alright" he whispered quietly before he pulled her into a hug. "I promise."

After a while they let go of each other and one look into the eyes of the other told both of them everything they needed to know.

Finally Wolf breathed deeply and let his eyes wander over the dark buildings and the quiet parade ground. There still were many things which could go wrong, most of all the US Army attacking them, but after they had beaten the Alliance in a single night they both had a feeling that nothing would be able to stop them. In silence they kept staring into the night and just enjoyed the relative peace and the closeness of each other. War would return soon enough.

* * *

**Okay, this is it. I think that in the next chapter you're gonna learn how the arrival of the US Army will progress and I'm thinking about a little time jump so things don't get boring but I haven't decided yet.**

**And no, just because this one was easy mocking my cliffhangers is definitely NOT a good idea, just like Jasper's Imaginary Friend mentioned. Like I said, there are most likely worse to come *gg***

**Well, give me reviews, I give you updates.**


	27. Prisoners of War

**Okay, I know I've let you wait an eternity and I apologize for that. I'm not even going to try and find an excuse, life was just rough and I didn't write, period. I'm sorry for the long wait and I'll do what I can to not let it happen again. I hope you're still out there and still reading this story. Now:**

**cappsy:** Glad you liked it. It was not what I planned at first but somehow it just played out. Yes, Zane will resurface, only briefly in this chapter but I have planned to give him some more screen time later. Thanks a lot and I hope you're still out there!

**452max:** As I said, sorry for the long wait. I honestly don't think Max would be able to do something like her brother did but yeah, I understand what you mean and hey, perhaps I'm going to use this idea in the future? We will see. Thanks to you too, I hope you're still reading!

**Yeldi:** Well, you're going to find out about the US Army in this chapter. And Ares and Blade? Yeah, I know, that was a little bit mean to stop there but you're going to see in this chapter what's happened to them as well. Let's just say things could get complicated in the near future. I apologize again for the long wait and I hope you're still with me as well! Thanks a lot!

**Jasper's Imaginary Friend:** Well, another rather calm chapter, no killing in this one but don't think I'm going soft. I understand what you mean and well, maybe there's going to be some more action later. You're going to get a brief glance at one '09er and the others will appear in the next chapter if everything goes according to plan. Thanks a lot to you too!

Once again I apologize for the delay and I hope you're still somewhere out there and reading this story. This is going to be a rather calm chapter where I intend to conclude the whole "Winter Contingency" operation.

* * *

In the end the takeover by the Army was both simple and nerve-racking. Using the British spy satellite Jondy was able to make sure the US forces were holding their position and did not approach during the night which was a good sign. In the morning six lightly armored humvees with mounted machine guns passed the perimeter fence and arrived on the main compound where Ares, Wolf, Kyla and Major Linder with one of his captains were waiting for them. Heavily armed soldiers – most likely special forces disguised as Army Rangers – got out of the vehicles before they had even completely stopped and established a perimeter. None of them raised their weapons or even pointed them at the small group of soldiers waiting at the entrance to the main building but everybody could feel that these men would open fire at the slightest provocation.

Luckily the officer in charge, General Tisnewsky himself, was a rather calm and self-controlled man and after the first moments of distrust things slowly began to work the way they were supposed to. That Lydecker was with the small convoy as well helped to further calm the situation. The old Colonel didn't say a word but when he looked at Kyla and Wolf his eyes were filled with relief and pride, nevertheless there was worry as well; he didn't know yet who had been wounded and he was aching to find out if all of his children were safe and sound. But for now that had to wait.

The Rangers checked on the base's staff and found them in the mess hall, a little bit shaken and nervous but unharmed. Tisnewsky's adjutant, Sergeant-Major Jocelyn Pierce, was escorted to the barracks where the Manticore black ops were under arrest and to everybody's surprise she fiercely hugged one of the black-clad soldiers only seconds after the AAD had let her into the barracks. It was Master Sergeant Pierce, the man who had been Renfro's driver the day unit two had attacked and freed Wolf. After the initial surprise it became clear that those two were brother and sister and Tisnewsky had brought her along so she could make sure with her own eyes that the loyal ordinary soldiers had not been harmed. When he learned about this small incident Wolf suddenly saw Tisnewsky in another light and had to admit that he had probably underestimated him; bringing somebody along who personally knew one of their captives was a smart move; as a sister Jocelyn Pierce would have noticed far more accurately than anybody else if something about her brother seemed off. Luckily for everybody that wasn't the case.

Slowly but surely the moment where the AAD and the transgenics would have to hand over control over the facility was approaching. Escorted by the Swiss soldiers Tisnewsky and his men checked everything, from the safety of the ordinaries on site to the well-being of the X-series and if the computer network had been hacked. They also took a look at what was left of the Alliance barracks. None of the men said anything but the way they eyed the transgenics could only be described as a mixture of surprise, compliment and slight disillusion. When he found out what had happened in PsyOps the General shot a wry glance at Wolf but said nothing.

Finally the Tisnewsky seemed to be satisfied when they found themselves in front of the main building again.

"Well, Deck" he said, "I think it's time."

"Yes, sir" Lydecker agreed sharply, then looked at Linder. "Major?"

"Understood, sir" the Swiss officer activated his radio. "Captain Hartmann, call in the Hercules, they should be within range by now, over and out."

"I think you should call back your men now, Major" Tisnewksy said calmly. "And I suggest you recall all of them. We are watching this whole area very attentively, do you understand?"

There was no threat in the older man's voice or composure but everybody felt that if the Swiss were going to try anything stupid the US forces would know about and react to it.

"Yes, sir." Linder nodded before he relayed the order to regroup within the main compound to his subordinates.

"Good" Tisnewsky looked like a man who was slowly starting to believe that a day which had begun with a nightmare was perhaps going to turn out alright in the end. "Our troops will close in as well now, so make sure none of your boys has a twitchy trigger finger. We will provide you with the necessary means of transport and escort you to the airport. You are allowed to keep your weapons, but rest assured that I have personally ordered the escort to kill every single soldier under your command if one of you does as much as spit in our direction."

"I understand, sir. Anything else?"

"Not for now." Linder nodded with a grim face and saluted before he turned away and went to his waiting 2IC. Tisnewsky watched him with cold eyes; yes, he understood why the SRTU had pulled off this mission alone and yes, he wanted to believe they were not his enemies but he didn't forget for a single moment that he was talking to a commando whose unit had attacked a facility of the United States Army. He shook his head and turned towards a waiting Lydecker. "Colonel, my men are going to take over control over this base now. I want the whole X5 unit two out of that building and right in front of me as long as they're not lying in the infirmary! You have three minutes."

"You heard him" Lydecker said to Wolf. "Get them out, 451!"

"And cut that designation crap!" the General barked. "We all know you're addressing each other by your names!"

"Yes, sir!" Wolf almost snapped at attention. Whatever that Tisnewsky had done before he became the J3 of special operations, it hadn't been a desk job, his voice, eyes and body language told that much. Quickly he radioed the others and not two minutes later the whole unit two with the exception of Jace and Kara was standing in a perfect line before the two older officers.

"And who the hell are you?" the General wanted to know from Ares. "You're not an X5."

"Delta-26, Swiss SRTU, codename is Ares, sir!" the transgenic answered sharply. "I was assigned to unit two for the duration of this mission."

"Whatever, your assignment ends now!"

"Sir, I…" Ares hesitated and briefly glanced at Blade who was standing next to him. "Sir, I'd like to ask for your permission to stay as a liaison to the SRTU, sir!"

"Permission denied! You are leaving this country today!"

"Sir…" the Delta tried again but trailed off when he saw the look Tisnewsky was gave him. "Yes, sir!"

"Perhaps I wasn't absolutely clear, soldier" the older man sneered. "In a few minutes this place will be crowded with soldiers, _my_ soldiers! You are damned lucky we're letting you go instead of throwing all of you into a dark hole for the next couple of months. I don't care whether you were assigned to unit two or not, in my eyes you're a foreign soldier who does absolutely not belong here for the time being."

He had of course noticed the brief eye contact between the Swiss transgenic and the Asian X5 and now he glared at both of them.

"I can't afford to let your private relations – of whatever nature they may be – interfere with this and that goes for all of you, am I clear?"

"SIR, YES, SIR!" the transgenics shouted in unison.

"Good, don't forget it!" he warned them one last time. Finally his eyes seemed to soften just a little bit. "Once the Army arrives unit two will be taken into custody until we have figured out a way to clean up this mess of yours. For your information: You will remain on this base for the time of the investigation but you will be confined to your quarters and guarded by the MP at all times."

"What about the others, sir?" Wolf asked. "Colonel Lydecker, Sergeant O'Neill and Corporal Hayden?"

"They will remain here as well, though not in the same quarters as you. We have been thinking about getting them to Leavenworth but because of the rather special circumstances we decided it would be best if we kept this as quiet as possible; you have caused enough of a ruckus already. The MP will be in charge of all of you until we have reorganized and reinstated the Manticore black ops. Until they are here I suggest you use your time wisely. It may take a few months before we decide how to proceed."

He turned his back on them and went to the waiting Ranger Captain without saying another word. In the distance first helicopters could be heard closing in on their position and slowly but surely more and more AAD soldiers and Deltas appeared out of the buildings and the spotters returned from the woods and joined the growing numbers of their comrades who were already waiting on the parade ground. Fortunately all of the wounded were stable and the last of them limped towards to their waiting units with the help of their fellow soldiers.

"So, this is it?" Blade asked quietly. She had turned towards Wolf but couldn't find the strength to look him in the eye. Without a word he embraced her and as if on a silent signal the other X5s formed a small circle around them and tried to shield them from curious eyes as much as possible without standing too close to them. They had already noticed what had happened between their sister and Ares but remained silent out of respect for their privacy.

"We've always known this would happen" he whispered and for the first time Blade heard his voice tremble. "This is not the end, Blade. I will not – I cannot – just leave you but you know I have to, for all of our sakes, I'm sorry. I will come back."

He gently caressed the red bite mark his teeth had left on the skin of her neck and she shuddered and chocked back a sob. She wasn't even sure when she had felt that it would happen. One minute they had just been standing under the hot showers, then a feeling like heated electricity started to flow through her body and everything after that was a blur of images and excitement, of pure joy and love and lust. The moment he had claimed her was burned into her mind though, the pain at first, then a new level of trust, devotion and love and she had been all too happy to return the favor, marking him forever as hers. The others had been right, there had been no chance to resist it. Not that the thought had ever entered her mind. Hell, when she had felt him tremble under her grip and heard him whimper ever so quietly and pleadingly it had almost been enough to send her over the edge. Out of everything she had done in her life nothing had ever felt so completely and utterly right like when she had found her mate and bonded with him. And now she was gonna lose him.

She started to tremble and fear gripped her heart. What if Tisnewsky was just telling them what they wanted to hear? What if they would lock them all away or just simply kill them once the Deltas were gone? Her trembling got worse and she tightened her grip around him so much it had to hurt.

"Sshh" Ares murmured barely audible, trying to sound reassuring but his voice was filled with the same fear. "It will be alright, you will see, it will be alright, I'll come back to you."

As if on cue several Black Hawk helicopters arrived on the scene and soldiers fast-roped down to the ground and quickly approached the waiting Deltas and AADs but the team leaders had been thoroughly briefed and held them back at a safe distance. Tension was already high enough and provoking the other party was in no one's mind. As soon as the infantry had touched the ground the Black Hawks disappeared again but only seconds later another convoy appeared as well, three LAV-25 being on point. The sight of those "Light Armored Vehicles" with their 25mm chain guns made the Swiss frown. More and more soldiers started to pour out of the seven trucks that followed the LAVs, some of them joining the ranks of their comrades who were having an eye on the Swiss soldiers but most of them ran towards the buildings; it all worked quickly and almost flawlessly and it almost seemed as if the platoon and squad leaders' shouted orders weren't necessary; everything appeared to have been planned and trained already. Ares watched the growing number of American soldiers with a grim face. He didn't consider them to be his enemies but he could barely hold back himself from baring his teeth at them nevertheless. Their arrival meant that he had to leave soon. Some of his fellow Deltas seemed to grow nervous as well, the grip on their rifles tightened slightly and their eyes followed every movement of the Rangers attentively and slightly worried. They were not used to this. Usually they infiltrated into their area of operations, accomplished their mission and disappeared again. Never before they had found themselves so utterly vulnerable, completely in the open and surrounded, without cover or an escape plan. Luckily for them Major Linder and his officers kept their calm and the presence of General Tisnewsky helped as well.

After minutes which felt like hours several officers approached the General, saluted and apparently gave him a brief sitrep. The old officer nodded and shouted at Linder to get his men moving. The AADs and Deltas started to mount onto the trucks one after the other under the watchful eyes of the US soldiers. Fortunatey they hadn't brought along much equipment other than their weapons and backpacks so it was a rather short process. Finally Zeb and Jazi approached the small group of silently waiting X5s.

"It is time" Zeb stated in a grave voice. After short moment of hesitation Wolf nodded.

"Ares, you have to go, I'm sorry" he said quietly. "Thank you for everything, we owe you."

The Delta nodded and loosened his grip around Blade's waist a little bit but found himself unable to let go off her. Jazi stepped forward and placed her gloved hand on his shoulder.

"Come on" the female Delta said gently. "We have to go."

Ares was torn between his duty to follow his orders and the need to stay with his mate. His heartbeat and breathing quickened and deep inside he slowly started to panic. When Jazi tried to gently pull him away he shook her off. The female Delta exchanged a worried glance with Zeb and the X5s couldn't help but look at the couple in their midst with a mixture of understanding but also anxiety as well. If they started a fight now nobody would be able to tell what casualties they might cause. They had to keep this quiet!

"Blade", Max said softly and slowly approached her sister. Artemis did the same. "Let go of him!"

"I can't!" the Asian X5 almost chocked on her own words. She didn't understand what was going on with her. She was Blade! She had been in fights most people and even many transgenics would consider hopeless, she could kick practically everybody's ass and never let anything get too close to her, both physically and emotionally, but now she was scared to death of letting Ares out of her sight or even just out of her embrace.

"It has to be" Ares said, suddenly utterly calm although his eyes reflected the storm of feelings he was experiencing. He felt like his insides had been turned into ice and every fiber of his body was screaming at him to stay, if necessary to fight, but his training – his entire life – as a soldier told him he had no choice, not now. With a heavy heart he bent a little bit forward and kissed Blade one last time before Jazi and Zeb gripped him by his upper arms and pulled him away from her. Instinctively the Asian X5 reached out for him again but Max and Artemis held her back with gentle force. Seeing this Ares tensed despite his knowledge that there was no other choice and Zeb could feel how he prepared himself to shake him and Jazi off again.

"Ares, get a hold of yourself!" he hissed. "If you start a fight now they will never let you see her again!"

He noticed how his brother froze at his words before he finally relaxed a little bit. Ares sighed and his shoulders slumped like in defeat. He closed his eyes and concentrated on slowing down his breathing, feeling the hands of Jazi and Zeb on his shoulders, both of them offering him as much comfort and sympathy as they could given their current situation. When he opened his eyes again and looked at Blade he had come to terms with their fate. Zeb was right; if he resisted now both the Americans and his own superiors would never allow him to come back and he didn't even dare to imagine how the US forces would react if he started a fight now.

"I liäbä di" he finally told Blade in a grave voice, using his native tongue and not caring if the other X5s understood him. "Ond I chome zrugg, I verspreche's!"

Hearing his words Blade trembled slightly but finally nodded.

"I liäbä di o" she whispered, her voice shaking, "wart ned z'lang!"

The Deltas looked at the group of assembled X5s and none of them spoke a word but their eyes told of their trust, respect and thanks. After a short pause of hesitation, a last eye contact and a small but reassuring smile at Blade Ares turned on his heel and marched towards where Linder was still waiting for them, Zeb and Jazi followed. They mounted onto the trucks as some of the last of the Swiss soldiers and after a few words with General Tisnewsky and Lydecker Major Linder gave the signal to move out. One after the other the trucks started to roll towards the base's exit with the LAVs escorting them. Out of nowhere three AH-6 attack helicopters appeared and took their position above the small convoy, making it ultimately clear that the Americans were not about to allow a single Swiss commando to make a move on his own.

Once the convoy was finally out of sight Lydecker, Tisnewsky and a large group of men and women of the military police approached the waiting X5s. They could also see how O'Neill and Hayden were arrested by some other MPs.

"As of this moment" Tisnewsky addressed the transgenics in an authoritarian voice, "you are under arrest. I'm giving you the direct order to do whatever the MPs or any other member of the United States Army tell you to do. Until further notice you will be considered prisoners of war. You will be held in your old barracks which are currently being searched and all of your private possessions are being removed. You are not allowed to leave your cells without permission of a superior officer and with less than at least three guards. If you try to escape, contact somebody on the outside without permission or violate these orders in any other way you will be shot on sight, am I clear?

"Yes, sir!" Wolf a answered for his unit. The way the General spoke somehow reassured him; it seemed like after all the chaos they had seen during the last days something like order and control was coming back to the military hierarchy they were used to. "Sir, permission to speak, sir?"

"Granted."

"Sir, may I ask what exactly is going to happen now, sir?"

"A team of military and civilian officials will analyze the events since your first escape and up to this moment. The investigation has already started and we are currently analyzing the data Colonel Lydecker has brought us." He noticed how the young transgenics slightly tensed at the word 'investigation'. "The officer in charge of this team will be me. I understand that you haven't made good experiences with some of your superiors in the past, but the Alliance has been destroyed. I don't hold any personal grudge against any of you, but you must understand that from a legal point of view your actions resemble to an act of war. If everything I have heard so far is the truth there might be a chance you won't have to face any severe consequences, but this is not a promise. These things will take time and you will cooperate with the investigation team."

His tone surprised the X5s. He was talking to them like they would expect an officer to talk to ordinary soldiers; with authority but also respect. Until now their main impression had been that the officials in Washington didn't even care about them as human beings and now the CO of J3 special operations himself was taking charge of their situation? That certainly counted as a good sign as even Lydecker seemed to trust him.

"Sir, will there be a possibility for us to contact the Swiss SRTU?" Blade wanted to know. Her face was pale but she looked concentrated and composed again.

"Not for now. If it comes to this you will be informed. Anything else?"

Wolf waited a few seconds and when nobody of his team spoke up he shook his head. "No, sir!"

"Very well. Captain?" Tisnewsky turned to the leader of the MPs. "They're all yours. Pierce, you're with me."

After a sharp salute the General left together with his adjutant and the MP Captain who had silently watched the scene taking place addressed the X5s for the first time.

"My name is Captain Bowden. For the next few days you will be my responsibility and I take my responsibilities very seriously." He looked from one of the transgenics to the other. "One of my responsibilities is your safety so I can assure you you will not be harmed unless you make it necessary. Another one of my responsibilities is the safety of the soldiers under my command. We have been informed about your abilities and I guarantee you we will use whatever force necessary to hold you at bay so make both your and our lives easier by obeying any order we give you. I'm also aware of the fact that some of you are wounded and that your injuries have already been treated but you will of course be given further medical treatment if you need it. Do you understand?"

The X5s nodded silently. It was obvious that Bowden and his men had guarded prisoners before; the way he spoke and moved, his facial expression and the silent but concentrated and yet not threatening behavior of the other MPs was proof enough. Bowden nodded, obviously satisfied with their mute response.

"Lay all of your weapons down on the ground, slowly, and remove your tactical vests, then proceed like the MP in front of you tells you to!"

Instantly Wolf felt his siblings' eyes on him. This was it, they were going to surrender. Until now they had still been armed and even though the whole base was swarming with Army Rangers and most likely Special Forces as well they would probably have been able to escape somehow. But not if they were without their weapons. He looked at Lydecker and the older man understood his worries but nodded barely visible; it was a risk they had to take. Finally Wolf breathed deeply before he slowly laid his sidearm on the ground, careful not to make any sudden movement or to accidentally point the weapon at the MPs, then did the same with his assault rifle. Behind his back he could hear how his siblings did the same. The black tactical vest was next and he let it drop onto the ground next to his weapons with a shrug, then looked at the soldiers in front of him who were following each of his movements with the utmost alertness and their fingers on the trigger. There were three of them for every transgenic and Wolf almost felt a little bit melancholic when he noticed how similar this seemed to the arresting drills they had done themselves during training; always three soldiers for one suspect, two to secure him and one to cover his two comrades.

"Hands on your head!" one of them ordered him briskly. "Then turn around and get down on your knees!"

The young transgenic complied and soon the whole unit was in the same position. He could almost taste the nervousness of his brothers and sisters; what was going to happen to them? Had they been told the truth? Would they stay here for the time of the investigation? Would there even be an investigation or would the higher ups just let them disappear? When he sensed the MPs approaching them from behind he looked to his left and exchanged a worried glance with Kyla. His mate was just as anxious but for once there was nothing they could do for each other. Quickly and efficiently their hands were cuffed behind their backs and they were forced back to their feet by two of the ordinary soldiers while the third one kept his position behind them. All the while the MPs tried not to cause them more discomfort than absolutely necessary and were cautious with the wounded. It was not much but it was a sign that they were being treated by professionals and not some grunts. Once they were done the soldiers guided them to their old barrack. Once inside Bowden spoke up again.

"Now you will be brought to your cells where you will remain until I have new orders or information for you. You will be searched and we will give you a new set of clothing. If you have any medical needs inform the guards. Questions?"

"Sir" Alec began, "Are we allowed to see each other?"

"Not for now." That answer caused some of the transgenics to straighten up, most of all Alec and Max and Nova and Havoc as well. Out of instinct Alec even tried to take a step towards Max but the soldiers behind him tightened their grip and he stopped. Bowden frowned and shot Wolf a brief glance; for a second it looked like he wanted to ask something but then he shook his head. "Alright, proceed as ordered!"

The MPs moved, escorting the transgenics towards their old quarters. Max tried to look at Wolf and he caught the plea in her eyes all too clearly.

"Sir" he addressed Bowden, "permission to speak?"

"Hold it!" the Captain told his men and after a brief hesitation he held back those who were taking care of Kyla as well. "Wait with her, too!"

Once the other transgenics had left Bowden eyed them both with growing suspicion.

"You are the CO and the 2IC of this unit, right?" he asked and they both nodded in unison. "We've only received a rather short briefing about your unit so I hope you will understand that I don't know all your names by heart yet. You are Wolf and you are Kyla, is that correct?"

The two transgenics exchanged a brief glance – they didn't know how much the MPs had already been told and decided to keep a low profile for the time being – before Kyla answered: "Yes, sir, although those are our call signs."

"Call signs? Right!" Bowden snorted. He was definitely not stupid. "Whatever! What just happened?"

"Sir?" Wolf decided to play the innocent card. The hard glare he received made him regret that decision immediately.

"There are many rules I have to respect, soldier" the MP said quietly but not without a clear warning in his voice, "but in the end it all comes down to a simple 'you don't play games with me, I don't play games with you', do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Again: What just happened?"

"We…" Wolf hesitated. Lydecker knew about the relationships between some of them but nobody else outside the unit and their Swiss Allies did. He couldn't risk that some of the higher-ups heard about it while the investigation was still going on or maybe some of them would even use it against them. "We have known each other for a long time, sir, we just don't like the whole situation, not to know what the others are doing is not something we are used to."

For a brief moment the ordinary seemed to consider his words before he suddenly gritted his teeth and moaned in realization and annoyance.

"Please don't tell me" he sighed deeply, "that some of you are…let's say romantically involved with a team member?"

"Sir, I did not…!" the young X5 tried again but Bowden cut him off with an abrupt gesture of his hand.

"Safe it!" After a long pause he continued: "Listen, I don't care about what's happening in your team and I'm certainly not here to judge you, there are other people who are getting paid for that. In my unit conversations between an MP and a prisoner are strictly confidential so you don't have to worry about us going to blab. But relationships can make a situation like ours a hell of a lot more complicated and if things between guards and prisoners get complicated people tend to get hurt. Now, do I have to worry about this or will your soldiers keep it together and their pants on?"

"They will stay calm, sir" Kyla assured him, "although it wouldn't hurt if we are allowed to move around a little bit and to see each other from time to time, just to know everybody is alright. We don't exactly like to be caged. No offense, sir."

"None taken." Bowden knew even though he would personally make sure none of the prisoners got hurt as long as he was in charge of them they needed to see their comrades with their own eyes; it was natural that while a certain interdependence between a guard and a prisoner could be developed over time a prisoner would never fully trust somebody who was holding the power over his or her freedom in his hands. "I will see what I can do but I can't promise you anything yet. Anything else?"

"No, sir. Thank you."

Bowden nodded silently and signaled his men to take the two X5s to their cells.

* * *

"The Hercules have left the US airspace and are on course, sir" Captain Sehler reported. He looked tired and exhausted but his relief and pride was evident in his eyes. "We did it!"

"They aren't home yet" Meyer reminded the communication officer but he didn't sound too worried himself. "But I agree, things are looking good. Very well, great job everybody. Captain, I want everybody to be relieved! Get something to eat and some sleep as well! That goes for you, too!"

"Yes, sir!" Sehler quickly started to contact the personnel for the next shift and soon operators and officers with heavy eyes but proud smiles on their faces started to pour out of the command center as they were replaced by their comrades. Major Coleman waited until the Colonel seemed to have a minute for him before he approached the older man.

"Sir, any word on unit two or Colonel Lydecker?"

"The US Army has taken over control of the facility, that's all we've heard from the AAD so far. Don't worry, Major, it would be foolish of your superiors to kill any of your friends but we will most likely have to wait some time before we get to hear from them again."

"Yeah, I'm afraid you're right." Coleman sighed and didn't look one bit less anxious.

"I know it isn't easy but we knew this would happen. I trust Colonel Lydecker to make the right decisions and I'm sure they're going to be alright. Get some sleep as well, Major, there's nothing you can do here for the moment."

"Yes, sir! Thank you!" He saluted and left the room together with Sehler. On the way to his quarters he briefly stopped by the mess hall. When he had gotten himself a much needed sandwich and something to drink he spotted a small group of people who were staring at him intensely and with another sigh he approached them, knowing that his bed would have to wait a little longer.

"What's going on?" Logan demanded to know before Coleman even sat down.

"Somebody's in a good mood, I see" the Manticore black ops muttered as he sat down and bit into his sandwich. "All mission objectives have been achieved, the Alliance is destroyed. The AAD and the Deltas are on their way home and the US Army has taken over in Gilette. Before you even ask: There have been no losses in our units. A few wounded, but all stable as far as we know. We have no contact with unit two or Colonel Lydecker anymore"

Coleman shrugged and tried to look calm. If they saw how unsure he was actually feeling himself they were probably going to be worried to no end. "They've probably been taken into custody."

"How can you say this so easily?" Zane finally lost his usually so calm demeanor but then snorted derisively. "Oh, yeah, sorry, I forgot, you're sitting safely in this bunker and not out there with them."

"Coming from somebody who has never actually seen combat that statement loses a little bit of its originality, '09er!" Coleman spat angrily, his temper flaring at once. "If you haven't noticed yet you're not the only one who has friends out there!"

Zane gritted his teeth but didn't say anything. For once being called a '09er hurt. Max, Brin and Jondy were out there while he had to sit back and watch.

"By the way" Coleman added after about a minute of silence, "Brin has not been injured."

Zane looked at him a little bit surprised first and then lowered his head and murmured a 'thanks'. Despite the serious situation the Major grinned when he saw the X5 blush slightly. They were the deadliest warriors on this planet but whenever it came to this particular topic they acted like shy teenagers. He didn't blame them at all but it was fun to watch them nevertheless.

"What's going to happen now?" Victoria Gibbs wanted to know. After an extensive research the SRTU had decided she wasn't a threat but of course they could not let her go until operation 'Winter Contingency' was finished. So she had remained in Fortress Delta but was being treated like some sort of involuntary guest instead of being locked away like a prisoner. Like Logan and Zane she was always accompanied by at least two guards and unlike the cyber-journalist she didn't have any access to communication with the outside.

"There's nothing else left to do for us now than wait." Coleman didn't like the situation any better than they did but he knew it was true. "Pray if you want to, keep your hopes up an everything is gonna be fine."

He gave them an encouraging nod before he left them to their own thoughts but deep inside he couldn't get rid of the nagging worry, the fear that something might happen to their friends and comrades and they would never know about it.

* * *

Meanwhile Max had been escorted to her own cell. Once inside she saw that almost everything she had called her own before their escape had been removed. The bed, her locker – although most certainly empty now – the small table and a chair was all the furniture still inside the room and she gritted her teeth. Her quarters hadn't been much but it had been where she had felt safe from curious eyes, her own private space. She couldn't help but feel a little bit angry with the MPs for invading her privacy in such a manner but then again they were only doing their job.

"Ma'am?" one of the soldiers, a Sergeant by the name of Hadrian, said. "We will take off the handcuffs now, please don't make any sudden movements."

Max just nodded and felt relieved when she could move her hands and arms freely again, but she remained in her current position, hands behind her back and facing the wall.

"Alright." The soldier sounded satisfied and calm, yet concentrated. The three guards were all female; a far as Max had seen all female X5s had been taken away by women only. "Please turn around, ma'am."

She complied and looked at her three minders with a slight spark of curiosity in her eyes.

"Ma'am, I know this has to be uncomfortable for you, but I must ask you to take off your clothes and hand them over to us. There is a clean training uniform in your locker. I hope you can understand this."

For a brief moment Max was so taken aback she didn't know what to say, but then again this was only logical; she was a prisoner now. She suddenly understood why the male and female transgenics had been arrested and escorted by men and women respectively; no way in hell she would have taken off her clothes if a man had been in her cell right then!

"Ma'am?" Hadrian knew this always was a difficult moment and her work would have been much easier and quicker if she didn't wait for the prisoners compliance but then again she was also well aware of how direly it could affect their guard-prisoner relationship if she forced that young woman to strip. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do" Max sighed bitterly. She eyed the three women and in all of their eyes she could only see professional concentration and attentiveness but no hostility or even… With a small growl she opened her camo jacket, took it off and tossed it in the waiting Sergeants direction with no little frustration. The MP caught it out of the air rather gracefully which was an indicator that she was most likely used to this kind of reaction. Max immediately regretted her childish behavior and proceeded to take off her boots and the rest of her clothes in silence. When she opened the locker there really was one of her old training uniforms. No shoes or boots, though. Subconsciously her fingertips brushed over the grey fabric and a melancholic smile appeared on her face before she remembered where she was and quickly got dressed again.

"Thank you, for your cooperation, ma'am" Sergeant Hadrian nodded rather satisfied and calm. It was true; she had worked with many prisoners who had been a lot more difficult than this one. "We will leave you know. A member of the medical staff will be sent to you to check you as soon as possible. Later today we will escort you to the showers."

"Yes, Sergeant." The thought of having her body inspected wasn't thrilling but Max had to admit it would do her good; even though only Kara, Jace, Blade, Havoc and Alec had been shot everybody had gotten his fair share of small cuts and bruises during the fight. She just hoped it would be Cottle or perhaps Callen. "Thank you, ma'am."

"For what?" The MP was sincerely surprised by that young woman's reactions and behavior. Sure, they had been told they were going to guard a group of highly trained and if necessary also extremely dangerous spec ops commandos and those guys tended to be a little bit strange sometimes. But seeing how young the prisoners were and yet how disciplined and almost submissive they acted made her suspect there was more to this story than she had been told.

"For how you are treating us" Max answered truthfully. She recognized that these MPs didn't just do their job, but they also tried to make it as painless and in a way as comfortable as possible for everybody. "We're not used to this."

"To what, being a prisoner? I sincerely hope you are not!"

"Oh, we are quite used to that, believe me" Max replied with a small but bitter laugh and cringed at the sudden suspicion and surprise in the three women's eyes. "But there haven't been many people who treated us with respect, at least not around here. But you do."

"You are welcome" Hadrian replied a little unsure of what else to say. She exchanged a slightly worried glance with her two companions who looked just as taken aback by the young woman's statement. How old was she, twenty, twenty-one perhaps? What had happened to her to make her say such a thing? She inwardly shook her head and decided she had to talk to Captain Bowden about this and find out if the other prisoners had voiced similar thoughts. This whole operation was getting weirder by the second but for now she would have to leave it. "Okay, we will leave you alone then. If you need anything, just call out for one of the guards, there will always some of us close by."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Hadrian just nodded and left the cell and her two comrades followed. When they closed the door and locked it Max really felt like in a prison for the first time; sure, they all called their quarters 'cells' but that was only because of how they had been trained and how they had been living before Manticore loosened up a little bit during the years after '09.

She sighed and lay down on her bed, groaning and stretching her muscles. She didn't need to constantly be on her guard anymore, the MPs were taking care of that, and after all the tension, adrenalin and the constant alertness of the last few days she felt how exhausted and tired her body actually was. Her mind, however, wouldn't let her rest. Her thoughts kept circling around what was going to happen next, what she could do if they were going to be betrayed – well, not much for the time being, she had to admit with a dark frown – and what was happening to her siblings. Were they being treated the same way she was? She had to admit she liked the way the MPs acted although this was of course not even nearly enough to make her trust them. And what about Alec? Was somebody taking care of his injured leg? Was he alright? Where was he anyway? Would everybody be brought to their old quarters or was that just her? She couldn't even hear what was going on outside, everything was so quiet and it made her feel nervous. And what about Kara and Jace? Were they alright, were they gonna make it like Hayden had promised? She didn't even know what was going to happen to Lydecker.

She growled out of frustration as all of these thoughts didn't give her anything but headaches but she couldn't stop them. Everything was such a mess. Even the Deltas had to leave them so quickly they barely got to say goodbye. Right now they hopefully were on their way back home; she didn't even dare to imagine what would happen if somebody decided to send a few surface-to-air missiles after them.

"Stop it!" she hissed at herself but the tiny voice whispering dangerous thoughts into her ear just laughed evilly. She glared at the closed door and for a brief moment considered to call one of the guards and to demand to be taken to Alec, just to make sure he was okay, but she decided against it. She wouldn't be allowed to leave her quarters just to take a look at one of her fellow soldiers anyway.

Dammit! She had only been in here for a few minutes and already she started to feel alone and missing her siblings like mad. How was she supposed to make it through the months to come?

She curled up into a tight ball and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting on her side and listening to the deafening silence. She forced herself to close her eyes and tried to fall asleep but as she waited the doubts and the emotional turmoil within her only grew stronger and when a single tear slowly ran down her cheek Max finally admitted to herself that she was utterly terrified of the future.

* * *

**Okay, this is it. As I said I'm not completely happy with it but there you go. You'll see what the US intends to do with the X5s in the next chapter and you'll learn what happens to the other '09ers there as well.**

**Now, I know I've been a bad writer for letting you wait this long and I will do what I can to not let that happen again. In exchange:**

**Please let me know what you think (yes, that means review. Subtle as always, I know ;) )**

**Please tell me whether you want me to continue after this story or not. As I said you decision will influence how I'm going to end this one and I still have plenty of ideas!**

**Thanks a lot!**

**To finish here a few translations:**

**J3: Chief of operations**

**SOD: Special Operations Division**

**Sitrep: situation report**

"**I liäbä di. Ond I chome zrugg, I verspreche's!": I love you. And I will come back, I promise!**

"**I liäbä di o. Wart ned z'lang!": I love you too. Don't wait too long!**


	28. Update

Okay, I have good news and I have bad news. Bad ones first:

No, this is unfortunately not another chapter although an update is gigantically overdue. I don't know exactly when I decided I needed a break. I suffered from writers block and didn't know how I wanted to continue the story. Furthermore I have been deployed abroad (which absolutely sucked) and then got several different assignments over time (which sucked even more) and only returned recently.

On the other hand, the good news.

I received messages from **452max**, **sammyboyaldaway** and **alliekiwi** who asked me to finish the story, THANKS guys! These messages and Feedbacks also got me to remember the good old times when I updated almost on a daily basis and I seriously started to dearly miss the X5-crew around Max. Furthermore my girlfriend verbally kicked my ass when she found out about two months ago I had not updated the story for so long (and yes, she can be damned scary, where do you think I got all those ideas about angry and dangerous female X5s?).

So yes, I've decided to continue and finish this story.

**The next update** is planned to be uploaded in **June**. After many weeks of thinking about it I don't lack ideas for the future but I won't make any promises about where will be going now already. You can, however, be sure that "The Fallen Ones" will be finished.

**I apologize** for the long wait and I hope some of you are still out there.

**Thanks a lot**


	29. Dissolving

**Yes, it's me again. I won't apologize because you certainly have heard enough of it. Just this.**

**Writers block is a bitch and I now know that I absolutely hate sand.**

**Thanks for all of your reviews and PMs, I hope I haven't lost all of you!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Manticore HQ – Gilette, Wyoming_

Colonel Donald Lydecker was beaming. Not on the outside, of course, he still had a reputation to uphold after all, but inside he was almost cheering. Those who knew him well enough to notice this strange behavior gave him brief but nevertheless curious glances while he was marching through the grey hallways of the Manticore headquarters but he ignored them. Outside his destination three soldiers in the uniforms of Manticore black ops were waiting for him.

"Everything ready?" Lydecker asked looking at the highest-ranking of them.

"Yes, sir" was Major Coleman's brisk reply. He had been able to return from Switzerland barely a week ago and one could tell he was glad to be back in the Manticore HQ. The time in Fortress Delta had been difficult for him, to say the least. Information about what was happening to unit two had been scarce and while Meyer and his men had done what was possible Coleman didn't like to sit in a bunker without any possibility to change the situation.

"Did you check it?" The Colonel wanted to know.

"Twice, Colonel" answered Sergeant O'Neill with his usual calm confidence.

"And do they know?" Now Lydecker eyed the youngest of the three soldiers who gave him a slightly nervous grin.

"They shouldn't." Corporal Hayden shrugged. "But you know them, there's no way to tell if they somehow picked it up or not."

"What about our special guests?"

"They've checked in at gate three a few minutes ago" Coleman informed him. "We could wait, sir, they will be here in no time."

"No need to" Lydecker shook his head. "I've talked to them about an hour ago and they agreed to make this a big surprise. They know what they have to do."

"Sneaky" O'Neill said and the four men grinned at each other.

"We'll see about that in a second. Well, let's not keep them any longer." The Colonel opened the door and entered the brightly lit briefing room.

"Attention!" Wolf snapped and behind him his siblings quickly followed his order.

"At ease" Lydecker replied in a neutral tone and let his eyes wander over the ten transgenics. They looked fine; certainly much better ever since they came back from DC.

Max eyed the Colonel attentively and she could clearly see that he was up to something. She couldn't exactly say what it was but something about him was off today. She could feel that the other three men seemed to be somewhat excited as well. Briefly her eyes darted to the ten suitcases which had already been in the room when her unit arrived a few minutes ago. It didn't take a genius to know that there was one suitcase for each X5 in the room.

"I know the past weeks have not been easy" Lydecker began, "but we always knew that what we were doing was the right thing to do."

Max silently but wholeheartedly agreed with him. The months after they had surrendered to the MPs had been rough. Not in a physical way, of course. They were being treated correctly and Bowden had made sure no outsider overstepped the line but they hardly ever got out of their cells and when they did it was usually for another interrogation. Once the government had realized the full extent of the war with the Alliance every official and non-official agency had been tasked to analyze the information unit two had given the Pentagon. Needless to say this meant that Max and her siblings had to tell their story uncountable times and to many different people. This wouldn't have been too bad but they hardly ever were allowed to see or talk to their team members which slowly but surely had started to unnerve them. They knew that the public was being given false information about why all of a sudden dozens of high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen had disappeared.

However, they never got to know what exactly was going on in general or if their allies had made it back to their respective countries. No news about possible casualties or anything else related to the foreign transgenics and ordinaries who had helped them reached their ears and that made them particularly nervous. It was even worse for Blade whose fear for Ares' safety let her become more and more depressive. They few times the MPs had let the team sit together Wolf, Max and Kyla had tried to talk to her and to ease her worries but there was nothing they could say to make the Asian X5 feel better.

After months without any contact to the outside world they were brought to Washington DC to be informed by the Special Arms Service Committee what had been decided for their future. Max remembered how antsy she had felt while standing before congressman Weaver and his colleagues. They all knew there would be no possibility to change the decision, no right for an appeal. If Weaver and the other officials decided to lock them away or let them disappear there would have been no legal instrument to override that sentence. Briefly, she remembered how she and her siblings had subconsciously analyzed their environment, searching for an escape out of the building and into the city if necessary.

Luckily it didn't come to that.

They were informed that the Alliance had been completely destroyed. The cybernetically enhanced soldiers were dead as was General Krulak and most of the council. The French transgenics had tried to take them alive but the resistance had been to fierce to use less than lethal force. A few ordinaries, mostly just mercenaries or private contract militaries, who had no real idea who they were working for had survived. The FBI was keeping them in custody until it could be decided what was going to happen to them. The biggest fish they had been able to catch alive was Renfro. The former Director was sitting in a cell in Leavenworth and she was not leave any time soon.

Finally, congressmen Weaver had looked at the transgenics and ordinaries in front of him.

"_You are soldiers of the United States armed forces"_ the grey-haired man had reminded them sternly. _"As such it is your duty to respect the chain of command and obey your superiors. What you have done could be considered to be treason, a capital crime punishable by death."_

Max had seen out of the corner of her eyes how Lydecker's posture had gone even more rigid and next to her Jondy had inhaled sharply.

"_However",_ Weaver continued and his eyes softened ever so little. _"From time to time a soldier is forced to go against his orders and his superiors to obey the law he has sworn to protect. Such acts demands courage and willpower and the ability to distinguish right from wrong, characteristics we value in our fighting men and women. You went against impossible odds, you suffered and you lost comrades to fulfill your mission to protect this country. While I don't like the thought of special forces doing what you did I agree with my colleagues that the circumstances left you no other choice. Therefore it is my honor to inform you that this committee has decided to clear you of all charges. You are hereby reinstated in your old functions and stations, effective immediately."_

For a few seconds Max had not dared to breath. Only when she saw the tiny smile reaching the congressman's eyes she realized that the nightmare was over and an impossibly heavy weight seemed to be lifted off her shoulders. All around her she could feel how her siblings gave similar reactions; she glanced to Wolf who gave her a somewhat tired but nonetheless relieved smile and Jondy winked at her before they all returned their attention to Weaver and his colleagues.

"_Colonel Lydecker, your request has been granted. The necessary preparations are being made as we speak. You are now ordered to return to Gilette and resume your duties. This hearing is closed."_

That had been three days ago and the hours and days after that had been like a blur. Once back in Gilette they had been given back their personal belongings and were officially reinstated as Manticore's X5 unit two. Max would never have believed how good it felt to finally put on her uniform again and she could tell the others were feeling the same way. Even the grey walls seemed a little bit more inviting now that she knew she could leave her cell whenever she wanted to. After months of uncertainty and apprehension they were back home, back together with the other X-series. She had not been sure how the rest of the X5s would react but she soon found out that the other units had no problem at all with them being officially reinstated. A female X5 even joked that with unit two such things had to be expected.

Now, after two days of regular training Max was feeling better than she had in months. She did not know what request congressman Weaver had granted but she had a feeling she was about to learn about it very soon.

"You all know that we have been officially reinstated ", Lydecker finally said. "I haven't said it before until now so I'll do it now: You are well aware that I'm not one to make compliments easily and I certainly won't get all sentimental. Nevertheless, what you have done and what you have accomplished is, in my eyes, unprecedented. I'm proud of you. Not only because you showed extreme courage and dedication as soldiers all the way but also because you never wavered in your conviction and your loyalty to each other."

The X5s shifted barely noticeable, the Colonel's unusually open words making them feel slightly awkward. Out of the corner of her eyes Max detected a brief and embarrassed grin from Artemis.

"So, here we are again", Lydecker continued. If he had noticed what effect his words had on the young soldiers he didn't show it. "Much has changed and because of that the committee has also decided to give you some new equipment. There is a suitcase for each of you. Open it and put on what's inside."

For the briefest of moments the transgenics hesitated; it was a strange order. Nevertheless, one after the other Max and her siblings grabbed their respective suitcases and opened it. Inside they found class A Army Service Uniforms for each of them. All of them were complete with different head gear and rank insignias, nameplates with the designation of the respective X5 and badges. They were also adorned with no small amount of varying decorations and ribbons. Without a word they undressed down to their underwear and started to put on the uniforms. For them this was almost as natural as breathing – although a little bit less so for the former '09ers – but when Artemis pulled her shirt over her head the four ordinaries quickly turned away to give them at least some semblance of privacy and O'Neill shared a weird glance with Lydecker who just shrugged.

After a few minutes the trangenics were dressed and looked at their superiors expectantly.

"Sir, may I ask for what kind of mission we need these uniforms?" Kyla finally asked the question which was on everybody's mind.

"These are not for a mission, Kyla", Lydecker replied with a smile. "They are yours."

"Sir?" Havocs voice sounded confused and hesitant.

"You heard me. They are yours. A full set of uniforms will be brought to your quarters and you will wear them from now on if not ordered otherwise."

"I don't understand, sir." Alec looked from his siblings to the Colonel. "Do you mean we…"

He trailed off, too afraid to speak out lout what was on his mind and he could see in the eyes of his siblings that he was not alone with his thoughts.

"While we were kept in custody I wrote a report to the Special Arms Service Committee", Lydecker explained. "I told them what you have done ever since the very day you were born. What you and the rest of the X-series have done and still do for this country and what you have suffered and lost."

He could still remember the first time he had spoken to congressman Weaver about this particular topic, a few weeks after they had destroyed the Alliance.

"_Colonel Lydecker, we have received and studied your report. Even though the investigation about you and your unit two is not finished yet we would like to address this matter now. We cannot guarantee anything but we are willing to listen. Your report is very detailed as well as your various requests and I believe you know you're asking quite a lot. Nevertheless, we would like to hear from you directly why we should approve the changes you mentioned. So, state your case, Colonel."_

_Lydecker had breathed deeply and shared a glance with General Tisnewsky who nodded quietly._

"_Congressman Weaver" the old Colonel began and hoped he would find the right words. "Distinguished members of the Special Arms Service Committee. I have come before you to protest against a grave injustice..."_

"As you know Manticore is not under the supervision of our old committee anymore. We are now officially a part of the Special Operations Division. Congressman Weaver has agreed to propose to the Joint Chiefs that not only our organization but also the soldiers within it should be officially acknowledged. I will tell the rest of the facility tomorrow but I wanted you to know now already. As of this moment, by decision of the Special Arms Service Committee and the Joint Chiefs, you are officially soldiers of the United States Army. The ranks on your uniforms, the awards: They are yours. Not a cover or a deception for an ops but yours and yours alone. As long as they're physically and psychologically able to all X-soldiers will have to serve until their thirtieth day of birth. After that they can chose whether they want to stay in the armed forces or not. They are entitled to the same rights and privileges as any other soldier, as long as operational security is not threatened. Don't worry, you'll receive the paperwork tomorrow for the details."

"Colonel, I don't…" Wolf began but didn't finish the sentence. It was too much. It seemed like the rank insignias on the uniform he was wearing – he still couldn't believe it was really his – were getting heavier with every second. His rank. The rank of a Captain! Was this a test of some sorts? "I can't believe this."

"Well, maybe I know I way to make it more believable." Lydecker turned to O'Neill. "Sergeant, read the order!"

"Attention to orders!" the Sergeant shouted and out of instinct the transgenics snapped at attention once again, followed by the Colonel, Coleman and Hayden. "The President of the United States has reposed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity and abilities of X5-451, X5-301 and X5-494. In view of these qualities and their demonstrated potential for increased responsibility, they are therefore promoted: X5-451 to Captain, X5-301 to First Lieutenant, X5-494 to Second Lieutenant, effective immediately. By Order of the Secretary of the Army: George S. Kramer, General, Chief of Staff."

Wolf's heart was beating so hard and fast he was almost afraid he was about to get a heart attack. He could feel how Alec and Kyla went rigid the moment O'Neill read their ranks and he could see how his mate went deathly pale. This was just not possible!

But they weren't given time to think as the Sergeant continued almost without missing a beat.

"The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence of these Soldiers. X5-194, X5-439, X5-154, X5-367, X5-798, X5-452, X5-201 and X5-452. In view of these qualities and their demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the U.S. Army, they are, therefore, promoted:"

Every transgenic in the room was holding their breath, their eyes wide and many lips slightly parted in disbelief.

"X5-194 and X5-439 to Master Sergeant." Blade gasped in shock while the slightly calmer Artemis grit her teeth and did her best to still her barely noticeable shaking hands

"X5-154, X5-367 and X5-798 to Staff Sergeant." Nova and Havoc couldn't help but shot each other disbelieving glances while Jace's normally almost shallow breathing quickened rapidly.

"X5-210, X5-734 and X5-452 to Sergeant." Jondy and Brin couldn't believe that they – former 09'ers – were given the ranks of NCOs and it showed on their faces. Max, on the other hand, felt like a incredibly heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. This was it. They were not experiments anymore, not disposable soldiers or lab rats. They were – finally – officially part of something greater, integrated into the Armed Forces and as such their actions and by extension they themselves would finally be recognized and respected. She could feel – almost taste – the effect this had on her siblings. This was what all of them had been waiting, fighting and suffering for their entire lives if most of them most likely unconsciously.

"By Order of the Secretary of the Army: George S. Kramer, General, Chief of Staff", O'Neill finished.

"Congratulations, everyone" Lydecker said in the silence which followed. Knowing these young soldiers for all of their lives he could imagine the emotional turmoil they were going through; those small signs of surprise they had shown in the past few seconds were usually unthinkable for X5s. "God knows you've earned it."

For what seemed to be a small eternity time nobody said a word, didn't even move a muscle. Finally…

"Thank you, Colonel" Kyla whispered barely audible. Her words broke the spell and the X5s started to fully realize what they had just heard. Slowly grins started to appear on their faces. Nova was the first to nervously giggle and then all hell broke loose. Lydecker leaned with his back against the wall and watched with a broad smile how Max grabbed Alec and kissed him, how his children hugged each other, laughed, cheered and just seeing them this happy for once made him feel better than he had in ages. He knew there were many things in his life he should have done differently but this moment brought some kind of peace and satisfaction to him which he rarely was able to enjoy.

Once Wolf and Kyla let go of each other they both looked at him and he could see tears of happiness and even more of pride in their eyes.

"Thank you, sir" Wolf said hoarsely over the ruckus his unit was causing. "Thank you so much. We will never be able to repay you for this."

"You already did far more than that" the old Colonel assured the young transgenic and the other ordinaries nodded in agreement. For good measure Lydecker added with a sly grin: "Captain."

Still not used to be called by his rank Wolf briefly looked at the floor and grinned meekly. All of a sudden, though, he looked at O'Neill.

"Just to be absolutely sure: Does that mean I can order you around now?" he wanted to know from the experienced Sergeant.

"You can try", was the dry answer; O'Neill had been expecting something like that, "but I would like to remind you that I have been keeping an eye on you ever since you were a toddler. I can't guarantee that I don't have some quite embarrassing photos of you from that time. And I can also not guarantee that they will never find their way to the mess, sir!"

For a moment both Wolf and Kyla looked at the seasoned soldier with wide eyes and a quite shocked expression, then Kyla burst out laughing. She laughed so hard she was almost hyperventilating. Wolf just grinned and nodded at the older soldier.

"I'll try not be too hard on you, Sergeant."

"That would be appreciated, sir" O'Neill grinned.

By now the X5s had mostly calmed down a little bit but their eyes were still filled with joy although not everybody seemed to be completely carefree.

"Okay, next point on our schedule" the Colonel addressed his subordinates and they straightened up. "We're not finished yet. Blade, front and centre!"

The Asian X5 obeyed quickly. She looked happy, too, but Lydecker could see her hidden sorrow and he was pretty sure he was about to change her mood for the better. He nodded at Hayden. "Let them in!"

The corpsman opened the door and three figures in dark green camouflage uniforms, their faces still showing the last remains of green and black paint, strode in wearing full combat gear and weapons.

"What the hell…?" Alec began but quickly shut up when the newcomers were first greeted by the ordinaries.

"Welcome to Gilette, Lieutenant, it's good to see you" Lydecker welcomed the three.

"It's good to be back, sir, but it's Captain, actually. Got a field promotion from Colonel Meyer two weeks ago" Ares said and shook the Colonel's hand. Zeb and Jazi followed his example and then the three grinning Deltas turned towards the assembled X5s who were looking at them dumbfounded. How was it possible that three Deltas were here in Manticore only a few days after the investigation had been finished? Most of all in full combat gear and armed? And they didn't look like they just stepped off a jet but more like they had been in the field for several...

Before Max could finish this thought Lydecker spoke up again and told them that the official part of the evening was over but that they would meet in an hour in the mess so the Deltas could have a shower before they started celebrating. There, he said, he would also tell them everything else. He nodded at Wolf who confirmed the order and slowly everybody started to file out. Most of the transgenics headed towards their cells to see if their other uniforms had already been brought there, their excitement showing in their movements. The X5s were still in some kind of slight gaze; it was a tremendous amount of change and information they had just been presented with and even they needed a few quiet minutes to accept and adapt to all of what they had just heard. The Deltas together with Wolf, Kyla and Blade, however went in direction of the showers. Blade made sure to keep some distance to the leader of the Swiss soldiers which Ares noticed with surprise but did not comment for the moment.

"You were out there watching us, weren't you?" Kyla rhetorically asked.

"Yep, we were" Jazi confirmed her suspicion. "Meyer wanted to have boots on the ground and eyes on the target to make sure nobody would let you disappear or something. We even saw you the few times they let you out to stretch your legs."

"How did you slip past your escort?" Wolf wanted to know, referring to the large contingent of US Army personnel which had accompanied the AAD 10 and the Deltas after the attack on the Alliance.

"We didn't." This time it was Ares who did the talking. "There were quite too many of them and, hell, they were nervous. They brought us to the airport and sent us back to Europe without even properly bidding us goodbye. We came back three weeks later, travelled from L.A. down here in a week and have been out there ever since."

He had barely finished the sentence when out of the blue Blade launched herself at him and hit him in the jaw with all the strength she could muster. The attack caught him and everybody else by complete surprise and he was thrown back and down onto the floor in the blink of an eye.

"You bastard!" she hissed and stood over the puzzled Swiss transgenic, seething. The others wanted to hold her back but Ares signaled them to stay out of this. "How dare you to just stride in here like nothing has happened? The whole time you were out there and watching us? You could have let us know! I will kill you if you ever do something like that again! You egoistic…oh, godsdammit!"

By now tears of anger and frustration were streaming down her face. She grabbed Ares by the collar of his tactical vest and hauled him back on his feet before she kissed him painfully hard. To give them some privacy the others left them for the moment but could not hide their amused grins; Blade was really not to be messed with! When she finally broke the kiss she didn't let go of her mate but hugged him tightly.

"Don't you ever again do something like that!" she growled while a mixture of joy, anger, relief and pure happiness was flooding through her. "We didn't even know if you made it out of the States in one piece. Every night I dreamed of your death and no matter how often I asked they would never tell me anything. I was going crazy in here and all the time you were just outside!"

Her voice was hoarse and she was speaking a lot faster than usual. Ares could feel that she was shivering and her heart was racing like mad.

"I'm sorry" he whispered. "I wanted to let you know I was watching over you but we couldn't. At the time your army would have hunted us down, you know that. Meyer only yesterday got the permission from the Pentagon to send some Deltas over here as a sort of liaison. Maybe you don't know it, yet, but right now it's pretty chaotic out there."

"I know" she sighed and pressed herself even harder against him before she leant back a little bit and looked him in the eye. "It's just…a little bit too much for me right now, okay?"

"I understand" the young man assured her.

"And I'm sorry I hit you" she added with a slight blush but he just laughed.

"I'll survive" he told her lightly and lovingly caressed her cheek before he let his hand wander to her neck and his fingertips brushed over the almost completely faded mark his teeth had left there. Blade closed her eyes and shuddered with a smile. In the end, however she got out of his embrace with one of her unusually fast yet elegant and remarkably cat-like moves he so liked about her.

"Not yet, mister. Remember we have to be in the mess in less than an hour and you definitely need a shower."

"Are you telling me that I stink?" was his indignant reply.

"If the shoe fits" Blade shrugged.

"You could join me?" he suggested.

"Later!" the Asian X5 insisted. "Now move!"

"As you wish, mylady" he grinned and together they resumed their march towards the showers.

* * *

_2 hours later_

"I could get used to that" Jace sighed.

"What, being an NCO or getting food like this" Max asked and gestured at the various and now mostly empty plates on the table.

"Both" the dark-skinned transgenic grinned. She had recovered well enough from her injuries and luckily was now just as fit as she had been before the assault on the Alliance. Max nodded with a smile. Once arrived at the mess their unit had been presented with the most luxurious meal they ever had in Manticore and being transgenics they had not been about to let anything go to waste.

"We thought a little celebration was in order after your promotions" Hayden told them.

"Best idea I've heard of in a long time" Zeb agreed from across the table.

"You didn't even get promoted", Alec reminded the Delta. "Don't get cocky."

"I would never dream of it, oh great Lieutenant " the Swiss transgenic teased and the assembled soldiers continued their various discussions and friendly bickering.

It felt good, Max decided, to behave like this. Talking, arguing, laughing. It felt…normal. She had almost forgotten how much she sometimes missed her talks with OC and Kendra. And Logan. She was not in love with him anymore, hadn't been for a long time, but she still missed him and her other ordinary friends.

In addition to their unexpected promotions and official recognition as US soldiers the assembled X5s had been given a lot of information to digest during the meal. Not only did they now know that once they were thirty years old the military would allow them to leave and live another life if they wanted to. They were also entitled to all the privileges an ordinary soldier in their respective rank could enjoy. Max could tell that just the words like "pay", "off time" or – even worse – "holidays" felt strange for many of her siblings. Lydecker had also told them about the intention of the Pentagon to intensify the contact with the European SRTU commands. As a result Brin would be leaving for a long-time deployment to be integrated in a Delta unit as the official US contact in the Swiss SRTU. Ares, Zeb and Jazi would fulfill the same role here in Manticore; French, British and German transgenics would likely arrive in Gilette for the same reason sooner or later as well. That and all the other various changes were a huge amount of unexpected and sometimes shocking information the X5s were facing but they liked it even if they didn't fully comprehend what to make out of it, yet. Max strongly suspected neither Brin nor the others of her unit had objected against her change of station half across the globe because Jazi had told them in hushed tones that Zane was still somewhere in Switzerland and seemed to be waiting for "something" or rather "someone" as she added with a wink in Brin's direction.

"And here they say fraternization is a big no-no" Havoc shook his head.

"Well, Zane's not military so I think they won't care." Kyla offered. "At least not as long as they don't know he's the actual '09er Zane. And fraternization is bad? Yeah right, look at us."

"I'd rather just look at you" Wolf stated matter-of-factly and smiled warmly.

That had definitely been one of the topics the transgenics had feared most. It was an open secret that there were serious relationships going on in their unit and according to regulations all of them would have to face some very unpleasant consequences even if they had been ordinary soldiers. Lydecker didn't say it openly but the bottom line apparently was that the committee was willing to look the other way as long as the X5s personal feelings didn't interfere with their missions. It was astonishing, to say the least, but the genetically enhanced soldiers certainly didn't complain about it.

"Get a room, you two" Max smirked at her two superiors and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Alec inquired.

"I need some fresh air" she informed him. "Don't be scared, I'm a big girl and can take care of myself, smart-aleck."

She left the mess and soon found herself outside the main barracks. Nobody else appeared to be around but right now that didn't bother her; from time to time Max enjoyed to be left alone with her thoughts, too. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the cool evening's air. She had heard and understood everything the Colonel had told them but she knew it would take some time to wrap her mind around all of it. Slowly she began to wander around, enjoying the calmness for once. So much had happened since she had gotten here. First a '09er escapee, captured and forced to undergo torture and reindoctrination. She remembered like it had been yesterday how Wolf, Kyla and Nova had saved her from PsyOps together with the Colonel. Now, after what seemed like an eternity of fighting and pain, she felt that her place was here. Not necessarily in this facility but with her unit. She had finally found a group of people she could truly call family. It was like…

She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the barely audible sound of rustling fabric and careful movement around the corner of the next building and after a second a hushed voice. That was strange. She knew for a fact that this particular building was only used for storage and it was quite a distance away from the rest of the barracks. Who would be here at this time of day – or rather night? Frowning, she tried to understand what was being said but not even her enhanced hearing could pick up the words. She couldn't help herself but ever so slowly inched closer to the source of that noise. Her feline-based curiousness be damned but she wanted to find out who was whispering in the shadows. It could be Jondy, of course, or even more likely Artemis; the two of them had left the mess a little while ago. The female sniper had always liked to disappear from time to time but why would any of them come to this lonely place? She peeked around the corner, careful not to be noticed.

"If we could do this we can do anything." It was dark where the two figures were standing but not dark enough for Max not to notice them and she recognized the voice as Jondy's.

"It's not that easy." Positive, that was Artemis, and she sounded hesitant.

"What's not easy?" Jondy wanted to know. "Look at the others."

"I know, it's just…" the sniper trailed off with a heavy sigh and Max could clearly hear the emotional turmoil in her voice. She sounded defeated, helpless. "It's just not the same."

Jondy stepped closer to her female teammate and cupped her cheek. Max frowned in surprise. A part of her was telling her rather loudly to leave her two siblings alone but she decided to stay a little longer. Artemis sounded like she was having a difficult time and if she could Max wanted to help.

"Talk to me, Artemis" Jondy murmured in a very soft tone like Max had never heard it from her before. "I won't get angry, I promise. Just tell me what's bothering you."

"I'm scared, okay?" Artemis snapped but it was clear it wasn't out of anger but rather frustration. "I'm downright scared that they won't understand. That they will get angry or shut us out."

For a moment Jondy seemed to think about her words and slowly nodded.

"I can understand that, believe me, I do. Hell, this is as much a surprise to me as it is to you." She seemed to smile but Max wasn't sure. "Listen, if you need time to think about it I will certainly not force you and I will accept whatever decision you make, alright?"

"I'm sorry", Artemis whispered sadly and hang her head in apparent shame.

"Oh, silly, don't be!" Jondy said and hugged her. "Like I said, I'm not angry, not at all. We have time."

For a long time Max's two friends remained like that before Artemis slowly pulled back and mouthed a barely audible '_thank you'_ before she suddenly kissed Jondy.

Max eyes went wide with surprise; this was definitely not what she had expected when she came here. It was whether a unusually forceful or intense kiss but the meaning of the gesture was more than just clear. Max was no homophobic, not at all, otherwise she wouldn't call OC one of her best friends, but she would never have thought that Artemis had feelings for Jondy. And judging from Jondy's reaction those feelings were quite mutual . After a few intimate seconds Artemis suddenly tensed up and abruptly broke the kiss and stared in Max's direction.

"Who's there?" she asked sharply. Max didn't know what had given her away. Perhaps her breathing had quickened or maybe it was just that famous sixth sense; fact was Artemis had noticed her.

"It's me" she said rising from her crouched position and slowly approached the pair. There was no sense in hiding any longer.

"Max?" Artemis gasped.

"What are you doing here?" Jondy wanted to know and trying to hide her rapidly growing fear behind anger.

"I wasn't sneaking up on you on purpose" Max defended herself quickly. "I heard somebody talking and wanted to see who it was."

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough." The answer was simple but it also gave the two startled women all they wanted to know. Artemis started shaking and took a step backwards, burying her face in her hands.

"Oh Gods!" the sniper choked, her voice breaking.

"Don't do that. Hey, Artemis, come here!" Max quickly closed the distance between her the sniper and pulled the young woman in a close hug. "There's no need to cry."

She could sense how Jondy's mood changed from worried and slightly angry to surprised and finally Max's sister seemed to relax. Artemis, on the other hand, remained reluctant and so Max continued to hold her close for another few moments, whispering reassuring word. It felt strange, trying to soothe her worries. Usually Artemis was the embodiment of calmness and concentration and had never shown a sign of panic in battle. Well, in conventional battles, that was, this was quite something else. Finally the sniper had calmed down enough to pull back a little bit and looked Max in the eye with uncertainty but also a glint of hope.

"You don't…" she began but stopped, not sure if she was interpreting Max's reaction correctly.

"What? Hold your feelings against you? Why should I?"

"But it's not, well, normal, is it?"

"I know a guy actually called Normal and he's one of the strangest people I've ever met" Max snorted. "If it is what you both want who would I be to tell you not to do it? We all deserve to be happy and that includes you, too."

At this Artemis smiled almost shyly – another side Max had never seen in her – and then hugged her tightly back. Behind her Jondy smiled brightly and nodded at Max in gratitude.

"But what about the others?" the female sniper wanted to know once she let Max out of her embrace.

"They better accept it as well. Otherwise they can shut their mouths or I'll make them."

"I'm still…well, afraid if I'm honest. We didn't tell anybody yet, I just didn't want to risk it, losing a friendship or the others' trust, I mean."

"Like who?" Max seriously couldn't think of someone in their unit reacting like that.

"I don't know" Artemis shrugged. "They'll certainly find it strange, won't they? We didn't plan any of this, it just happened but I really want this to work. But Jondy and me being together could affect the unit. Wolf could get angry about that."

"You're godsdamned right I'm angry!" came a growl out of the shadows. The three women jumped in surprise and before their eyes two black shapes seemingly materialized out of the darkness. When she recognized them all Max could think was a loud and clear '_Oh, hell'_.

Wolf and Kyla approached the startled trio and eyed them with hard eyes.

"Wolf, we…" Jondy began in a small voice but he cut her off with a sharp gesture. Max wanted to intervene but a warning glare from Kyla held her back.

"Why?" was the male transgenic's only word and Artemis who was watching him nervously flinched.

"I… it just happened" she stammered clearly intimidated. "I don't know when it started between us. I think after she got shot…"

"That's not what I asked" he interrupted her sternly. "I want to know why you think I'd be angry with the two of you."

"We didn't know if…" Jondy tried to get between him and Artemis.

"Exactly, you didn't know! You assumed and I hate it when people assume things about me!" he barked and this time both Artemis and Jondy looked like they had been slapped. This wasn't looking good. Max decided for herself that she would step in if her brother went too far whether Kyla agreed or not. "And for the record: I'm not."

"What?" it came in perplexed unison from the two women in front of him.

"I said" Max's brother repeated and suddenly he relaxed and a genuine smile appeared on his face, "I'm not angry with you. At least not because you're together."

That took a few seconds to sink in and then Artemis gave a muffled cry of relief and jumped at him, pulling him into a strong hug. Max exhaled and felt the tension disappear as fast as it had built up.

"You son of a…" Jondy sighed in relief. "I really believed you were gonna attack me."

"Oh, you're not off the hook" Wolf grinned over Artemis shoulder. The sniper still didn't let go of him. "I _do_ hate it when people assume things about me."

"Thank you" Artemis mumbled against his shoulder. "I really wanted to talk to you about it but I just…I know I should know you better but I somehow couldn't muster the courage to do it."

"Tell me about it. I still barely believe how nervous I was at the beginning." Kyla lightly elbowed Jondy in the ribs. "Congratulations! I'm happy for both of you. And don't worry, the others will be, too."

"Thanks" the former '09er grinned and Max could have sworn her sister blushed.

"But don't ever sneak up on us in a situation like this again, you hear me?" Artemis looked from Wolf to Kyla and back. "That's just creepy and if you ever do it again I will…"

"Careful what you say, now" Kyla warned her in a playful tone.

"Or what?" the female sniper seemed to have found her courage again.

"Well, we could still tell Alec" Wolf offered.

"You wouldn't!"

"Don't test me" was the young man's dry reply.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop" Artemis agreed but then looked at him very seriously. "I really meant what I said, Wolf. Thank you, all of you. It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome. And I'm with Kyla in this one: I'm happy for you. You heard the Colonel: Be quiet about it, most of all when we're off base and everything will be fine."

"We will be" Jondy assured him.

"Okay, that's enough emotionality for me for this evening. All this hugging makes me feel weird" Kyla chirped. "Come on, you two, there are still plenty of things to be eaten and even more to be drunk."

"Yes, ma'am!" Jondy gave her a sharp salute and then the three woman marched back to the main building, bickering and laughing all the way like nothing had happened. Max and Wolf followed them at a small distance and she could see by the looks he gave the trio that he really was happy for them.

"Who would have thought" she said after a while.

"Yeah, who would have thought" he agreed with a melancholic smile but Max could see his well hidden worries nevertheless and she knew him well enough to understand what was bothering him.

"Come on, don't be like that!"

"Like what?"

"You think they don't trust you."

"I know they trust me" he objected. "But I still wonder why they thought I would be angry if they told me. I'm happy for them!"

"Stop talking and listen, big brother." Max looked at him with a serious expression. "They didn't tell you – or anybody else, for the record – because they were scared as hell. They'll be fine, don't worry. I very well remember how you and Kyla reacted when we found out about the two of you so don't think too much into it just because they were nervous."

"I won't" he promised. "It still surprised me."

"Welcome to my world" she muttered and they both chuckled in unison. After that they continued on their way in silence before Max looked up to the stars and enjoyed the view for a few seconds. "It's astonishing, isn't it? What we have achieved, I mean."

"It definitely is. I still need some time to adjust to all this."

"We all do. But we started this together and we will finish it together."

"Well", Wolf seemed to search for the right words for a moment. "We will certainly finish it together. But we didn't start it, not all of us. That was one person alone."

"What do you mean?" She eyed him curiously.

"Max" he smiled and gently shook his head. "You are so good at understanding others but you never look at yourself."

They stopped again and he eyed at her with the calm pride and confidence of the big brother he was.

"We, our unit, have always been some kind of a family. We have watched each other's backs since the day we were born. But what we have become since you came to us…it's hard to describe it with words but it was you who made us realize that there's more in our lives than what we had before. Don't get me wrong. I am a soldier and I will always be. I already know that I will stay in Manticore once I'm past thirty, it's what I want. But thanks to you I and all the others have gained so much. Two of us being a couple…it was impossible for us to even think about such a thing before you came along."

"You made your own luck" Max said not sure if she liked where this was going.

"Maybe we did, but you helped. I know you talked to Kyla on our flight to Joliet, I could hear you."

"Damned transgenic hearing" Max cursed lowly but couldn't hide a guilty grin.

"I'm glad you did it. And I'm glad for everything else you did. I want our family like it is and nothing else. We may not have started this together, but I will make damned sure we will see the end together, all of us."

"To that I'll drink" she grinned brightly.

"Then let's get inside" he offered. "I'm pretty sure there's still something left for us."

Together, brother and sister entered the building in comfortable silence and while Max had something more to think about she felt glad. She knew the next battle, the next fight would come; it was inevitable for people like them. But she also knew she would not have to face those dangers alone.

"There you are!" Blade exclaimed when they entered the mess again. "Good you're back, Maxie, Alec was beginning to miss you."

"And who do you think you are to call me Maxie?"

"Your superior, that's who" the Asian girl grinned. Max grinned back and took her seat next to Alec who welcomed her back with a light kiss.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's okay" she assured him.

"That's good to hear because a little bird told me Lydecker has a mission for you."

"Well", she sighed, "let's get back to work then. What is it?"

Alec grinned and said the one word she truly didn't expect.

"Holidays."

* * *

_Seattle, Washington – Three weeks later_

"That smells good" OC called from the living room.

"I'm doing my best" Logan replied and checked the sauce once again. "How's the table?"

"All ready and waiting for you!"

"She's in a good mood today" Victoria said.

"She always is when Bling's around" Logan grinned."

Vic just smiled and took the salad before she made her way to the living room where Bling and Original Cindy were waiting on the couch.

"How's it going, I'm starving" Bling announced. He had an arm slung around OC's shoulders and looked quite relaxed.

"A few minutes and we're good" Vic told them and placed the salad on the table before she took a seat next to them. "Any idea why we're all here today?"

"He got a message that the news this evening would be quite interesting, that's all I know."

"Still Mister Mysterious, I see" OC sighed theatrically.

Vic agreed with a small nod. Sometimes she still needed to remind herself who she was living with. Once they had been cleared to return to the United States she had a lot of explaining to do when she came back to NCIS. They had, of course, already been briefed by their superiors once the investigation about unit two had been finished but an agent coming back after having disappeared for months was not business as usual. Once that had been done she had tried to get back to work but something seemed to be missing. She knew she liked Cale. They had spent a lot of time together during their stay in Fortress Delta and she had to admit that he was a handsome and interesting man. That mysterious façade combined with the apparent need and will to provide help to those who couldn't help themselves had intrigued her. There was something he was hiding from her, though; that was nothing new for her, mind you, but it seemed that he didn't tell her about his secret because he wanted to protect her and not himself. It was unnerving but she liked their conversations nevertheless.

She had lost sight of him when they had parted ways at the airport and debated with herself during her lone hours if she should call him or not. After a week of sleepless nights she had finally gotten a grip of herself and used her status as a federal agent to find out Logan Cale's whereabouts and phone number. One thing had led to another and two weeks ago her request for holidays had been granted, mostly due to her long "hostage situation". His friends and associates seemed to be the right sort of people but he still didn't tell her what he was really doing when he was spending hours in his office.

A week ago she had had enough and hid a spycam on his shelf. Not a very ladylike move but she was still an investigator to the core. What she saw had shocked her; her friend – no, boyfriend actually it would seem – was the notorious Eyes Only? She already had her mobile phone in her hand to call her colleagues to take him in when she suddenly hesitated. After many hours and reading through hundreds of reports on her laptop she made a decision.

When they were alone the next time she had confronted him with everything. To her surprise he didn't appear to be angry, shocked or worried. He just looked at her with those bright eyes of his for several minutes before he simply asked her if she was going to turn him in. When she said no he took her into his office, closed the door and showed her everything. Every source, every tiny little piece of intel he had – and damned there was a lot of it – and every arrest made or life saved because of the Eyes Only Informant Network.

It was impressive, to say the least. However, Victoria Gibbs was still a federal agent and thus obligated to tell her superiors what she knew. She thought about it very long. Thought about telling the officials who he was, thought about shooting him for not telling her and a tiny little voice urged her to even think about working with him. The decision wasn't an easy one but she finally found herself at a point of no return. She liked this man, maybe even had begun to love him and his work was the effort of a good guy trying to make the world a better place. With a heavy heart and against his protests she had sent her resignation to DC. It had been officially approved already but she was dreading the phone calls from her team and colleagues which were certainly still to come.

The day before yesterday she had talked to Logan about working for his network. He didn't like the idea at first but she had a few good points. Former federal agent, seasoned investigator, proficient with firearms and experienced in data analyze. Reluctantly, he had finally given in when she reminded him she just gave up her job to keep his underground organization a secret. She felt a little bit guilty about that particular argument but if there was something she had inherited from both her parents it was their legendary stubbornness.

Right now, however, there was no work to be done, only that mysterious message. When Logan finally arrived with the pasta they all cheered and quickly everybody got his or her fair share before they switched on the television.

"And you didn't find out who sent it?" OC asked with a mouthful of pasta which made everybody grin.

"No, I didn't. It was just an email from an anonymous account." Logan sounded a little bit disgruntled about the fact that there were still people he couldn't electronically trace whenever he wanted.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen" the news anchor greeted them from the tv. "Pentagon officials have announced that tonight they would reveal more details concerning what we have come to learn as operation Hammerfall. We're switching now live to the Pentagon where General Tisnewsky, the head of special operations of our armed forces, will address the public.

"_Good evening everybody and thank you for coming here on such a short notice" _Tisnewsky greeted the assembled reporters a few seconds later and then looked directly into the camera._ "What I'm about to tell you will cause a lot of questions but I would like to ask you to let me finish first. I assure you there will be enough time for all of your questions to be answered."_

He waited for a few seconds to let his words sink in before he continued.

"_All of you have heard about Operation "Hammerfall" during which an illegal international organization known as the Alliance has been destroyed. You have also heard that during this operation US forces have worked together with several foreign intelligence services, law enforcement and armed forces personnel. The President of the United States of America and the Joint Chiefs have decided that it is time to unveil to the public the special nature of the men and women who have fought in that battle."_

Now Logan changed from interested to fully alert. They were not going to do it, were they?

"_For several years" _Tisnewsky continued_, "the United States Department of Defense, in cooperation with several allied countries in western Europe, has developed a new kind of soldier. The men and women who volunteered for that program have a specific genetic marker in their DNA which enables them to adapt to controlled genetic mutation. They were surgically implanted with several specifically chosen DNA strands which resulted in a number of changes in their physiology."_

This clearly threw the assembled reporters off-balance and Tisnewsky had to wait about a minute before he could continue without being interrupted.

"_As I said, those soldiers experienced a number of changes in their physiology. This means they are stronger and faster than the average human being. In addition their senses were enhanced as well."_

"_Are you talking about some new sort of gene therapy?" _a reporter threw in.

"_When will this technology be able for the civilian population?" _another wanted to know.

"_Are you going to use this on all of our forces?" _an accusatory third shouted.

"_Ladies and gentlemen!" _Tisnewsky sharply cut them off_. "Like I said, your questions will be answered later. For now, let me say this. I know this is an unexpected information. The US government had decided to keep this project a secret until today because it was necessary to maintain internal security. I can absolutely assure you that no danger to the public has ever existed. Every soldier in that program had to volunteer for the procedure…"_

At this Logan snorted loudly.

"…_and no fatalities, physiological or psychological injuries have occurred. I understand that many of you will be hesitant towards a group of people with the abilities those soldiers possess. I understand that because I felt the same when I first heard about the program. But…"_

And at this point something changed in Tisnewsky's behavior. He wasn't any longer just an officer who was tasked with informing the public about another national secret, he was also all of a sudden a hardened, seasoned and completely serious soldier_. "…I will here and now say this. It will never be accepted, not by our government, not by an official organization of this country or any part of the military community if those fighting men and women are aggressed in any way by an individual or an organization, be it foreign or domestic, because of their special genetic disposition. They have made and are still making extreme sacrifices to assure the safety of our country, our population and our way of life. The only difference is that they agreed to have their bodies surgically improved to be able to even better fulfill their mission. The least I expect from every US citizen is to acknowledge and honor their decision."_

He paused and let his words sink in and for once no reporter spoke up. It seemed like they all understood or at least felt that the old officer was deadly serious about this.

"_I will now answer your first questions although you couldn't wait" _Tisnewsky said with a stern glare towards the three respective reporters who had spoken up too soon_. "First: Yes, it is some kind of gene therapy. For reasons of national security I'm not in the position to tell you more."_

Logan didn't even try to hide his humorless grin. He rather suspected that whatever Manticore had cooked up in their labs was way to scientific for an old soldier to understand.

"_Second: As I said, this procedure only works with people with a very specific and sadly extremely rare genetic marker. So far this technology cannot be used on a large number of people. I think with this I have also answered the third question. Any more question?"_

And with this the storm broke loose. The reporters all shouted at once and it took some time for Tisnewsky to pick one.

"_Will there be a contact between those soldiers and the public?"_

"_Many of those soldiers have family and children so no information about their identity will be revealed. I'm sure you'll understand that we cannot risk to expose them or their relatives to any outside threat. Furthermore, they look no different than the average fit human being, so maybe you'll even meet one of them without knowing it. Next question!"_

"_Sir, about what kind of special abilities are we exactly talking here? Flying through the air and laser beams shooting out of the eyes?" _a middle-aged man wanted to know with a small smile and some of the other reporters laughed.

"_I'm afraid we're not on that level yet" _Tisnewsky replied with a small grin_. "But I assure you their combat effectiveness is impressive. The Pentagon will release what unclassified information we can give you by the end of the week. Next question!"_

"_General, how can one apply to be accepted into this program?"_

"_You cannot apply at all, you are chosen. If you accept during basic training that your DNA is analyzed and the necessary genetic markers are found you may be approached to be integrated into this unit if you're overall performance suggest that you are a viable candidate. Next question!"_

"_Does this unit have something to do with the report of an underground journalist named Eyes Only concerning a government founded program named Manticore where children were bred to become soldiers?"_

"My, aren't you famous" Vic murmured but Logan ignored her. The answer to that question should be really interesting. It didn't surprise him that Tisnewsky showed no reaction at all; he had expected this.

"_You should check your sources a little bit better" _the General began with a hint of sarcasm_. "Even if we wanted to, the technology to genetically engineer embryos with the characteristics Eyes Only describes is still decades away. And this government will never approve of such an experiment, I assure you. However, your online activist was right about one thing: The codename for this project has been and still is "Project Manticore". Next…"_

Logan had heard enough. He picked up the remote and turned off the tv. When the screen went dark everybody remained seated and in complete silence.

"What" Bling began and his usually so calm and composed demeanor was nowhere to be seen, "was that?"

"They just made it public" OC whispered in apparent awe. She looked from Bling to Logan and back. "They just told everybody about Manticore."

"Only a part of it" Vic pressed her lips together. As much as she disliked it she had to acknowledge that this had been a brilliant move.

"They told the public enough to let the X-series look like heroes" Logan growled.

"But they are!" OC exclaimed.

"Of course they are!" Logan snapped and jumped up. He began pacing around and the servos of his exoskeleton whirled quietly. "That and so much more. What they have suffered is barely imaginable. And now what? Everyone who breathes a word about what Manticore really is will be frowned upon as a conspiracy fanatic. They will have even more free reign than before."

"Careful, Logan" Vic tried to calm him down. "You know you're only a free man because Lydecker convinced the committee to leave you alone as long as you don't mess with them."

It was true. Logan didn't know how but Lydecker had managed to get him back into the States without being arrested. He had said it was a compensation for his help during the Alliance crisis and that he was fighting for the good of the United States; with illegal methods, mind you, but since when had that ever bothered Lydecker? As long as Logan stayed away from everything military the committee was not going to reveal his secret identity. It was much more than what he could have hoped for but right now it seemed like a bad joke.

"And what should I do if they start to experiment on Max and the others again? Look the other way?"

"I don't think Lydecker would do that anymore" Bling sounded more hopeful than he felt.

"Lydecker isn't the problem!" Logan hissed. "But he's not on the top of the food chain. There are others who will most likely love to use their new freedom to do whatever they please!"

"Top of the food chain?" sounded an amused female voice out of the kitchen. "Never heard that one from you before."

Everybody whirled around towards that voice and Bling had his gun halfway out of its holster when he recognized the person standing in the doorframe. For a few moments she didn't move and just looked at them with that smile of hers, that playful, amused and highly addictive smile and her eyes were sparkling.

"Hey guys" she said as if nothing had happened, as if she had not been on the run ever since she had set foot into this penthouse last time. "What did I miss?"

"Boo!" Cindy screamed and jumped up and so did the others. Logan was the first to reach her and he hugged her so tightly it would have hurt were she not a transgenic.

"What are you doing here?"

"Visiting old friends" Max laughed. "Take it easy, Logan, I'll be here a full week, you don't have to crush me the first evening."

When Logan let her down she heartily greeted one after the other, especially Original Cindy who had tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks.

"I started to think I would never see you again", she sobbed.

"You know me, I have nine lives" the X5 grinned. "Gods, it is good to see you! Hey Bling!"

"Hey, Maxie" the huge bodyguard replied and for once she did not object to that nickname of hers.

"Hey Victoria. Nice to meet you under normal circumstances."

"Nice to meet you, too!

This continued for a while until the first surprise over Max's unannounced appearance had worn off. When finally some sort of order had been reestablished in Cale's penthouse the X5s lips curled up in her unique playful grin. "So, what must a girl do to get something to eat in this house?"

Once she had gotten her own pasta Max told them what had happened after she and her siblings had fought the Alliance in Gilette and especially what Tisnewsky's tv announcement really meant. It was a lot to digest for her friends but they were already used to hear the impossible on a regular basis. After hours of talking and answering questions the four ordinaries were finally satisfied – at least for the moment – and most of all their fears that Manticore would abuse the X-series again were luckily proven wrong. When OC yawned for the sixth time Logan proposed to call it a day and the others agreed. Once her friends were all sound asleep, however, Max left the Foggle Towers and made her way to her old apartment. True to OC's statement she found it almost the same as when she had left it a small eternity ago. And she also found what she was looking for.

"Hey baby" she cooed and approached the object of her desires, "did you miss me? Because I surely missed you!"

It was not long after that the sounds of a roaring engine could be heard in the empty streets and a young woman raced through the nightly city on her beloved Ninja.

Max knew much had changed and she was aware that she had changed as well. She wasn't the woman she used to be anymore, not by a long shot. She had lost many things but gained others. The future was not looking bright; it was filled with danger, fights and battles and possibly loss. Max knew all this but it didn't bother her because for the first time in her life she had a real perspective and she could see the chance of ultimate freedom before her and her kind.

* * *

**Okay, problems solved. Well, more or less. I'll also post the epilogue right away.**

**As I said, there will be a third and last installment of this series but seeing how it took me ages to get past my last block I'll start things slowly.**

**Hope to see you there again, thanks!**


	30. Epilogue

**Well, last chapter for this story.**

**Third installment has begun and I think - I think - I'll be able to post the first chapters soon.**

**I would once again thank all of you who have reviewed this work, your constructive critism and most of all your patience with a writer who lost a little bit of his energy along the way. Thanks a lot guys and girls, you're absolutely awesome!**

**I'm still not a hundred percent happy with the last chapters of this story, but seeing as I have already started the third installment "Hunting an Angel - Death closes all" I'm pretty sure I'll be able to come up with a story you're gonna like.**

**Again, I hope to see you there and I wish you all the best in the meantime!**

* * *

_Washington DC, 2025 – Pentagon_

"The General is in a meeting with Admiral Cole, sir" Tisnewsky's assistant informed him. "He's expected to be back in about fifteen minutes."

"I'll wait, thank you." Lydecker took a seat next to the door. Tisnewsky had called him to the Pentagon for a personal debriefing concerning the training status of the X6 and X7 generation and for once Lydecker was happy to come to the capital. His old friend had, after all, an excellent taste when it came to finding a bar for a last drink after work; non-alcoholic for Lydecker, of course. He let his thoughts wander back to Gilette and wondered what his kids where most likely doing right now.

After having been officially introduced to the public things had been…interesting. Some people had screamed bloody murder because the US military had dared to mess with DNA, some religious fanatics of course had to throw in their two cents as well and others had voiced their concern for the long-time wellbeing of the genetically altered soldiers. All in all, however, Lydecker had been surprised how well the public received the news that US soldiers had undergone a change of their genetics. He was still convinced that if they had told the world the truth about the whole program the outrage would have been enormous. But like this the United States slept soundly in the knowledge that they were protected by some of the best.

Manticore Special Operations Task Force.

The name still sounded strange in his ears but it was the label under which the X-series were now known to the public. When he had heard about the plans of going public about the project he believed it to be a PR gag. By now he had to agree it had been one of the most efficient PR gags in the history of modern media. Manticore and the SRTU were officially known not only in their respective countries but across the globe and they worked together efficiently and much more often than only a few years ago. Nobody outside the programs knew about their real nature but the transgenic special forces commands were ruthlessly efficient. It wasn't only due to them that, amongst other things, the US was on a good way to regain its pre-Pulse wealth or at least a good part of it, but their operations certainly helped. Sure, there was always somebody who tried to make their way miserable and currently that was…

"_Colonel Donald Lydecker"_ it suddenly came over the speakers, _"report to TAC one ASAP, I say again, Colonel Lydecker report to TAC one ASAP! Message ends."_

The old Colonel was on his feet in the blink of an eye and stormed out of the room before the assistant could say a word. It was highly unusual to call people over the speakers in the Pentagon like this and certainly not to TAC one. That room was highly classified and used only for the surveillance of special operations. He sprinted through the hallways towards his destination and soon enough two men in marine uniforms joined him.

"Colonel Lydecker?" one of them greeted him without slowing down.

"That's me" he growled and ran even faster. "Don't bother, I know the way!"

Barely a minute later he rushed into TAC one where Tisnewsky, two of the Joint Chiefs and a small army of technicians and soldiers were working furiously. The screens were coming to life just now and what he saw made no sense at all.

"What's going on, sir?" he wanted to know.

"Hell if I know" Tisnewsky replied briskly. "We got an SOS from your facility in Gilette four minutes ago but we can't reach anybody there."

"That's not…" the Colonel began but was cut off by one of the technicians.

"Sir, I got a working link here" the woman shouted. "Unstable, but it's there!"

"Main screen!" General Kramer, the older of the two Joint Chiefs, ordered without hesitation and a second later the blurred image of Kyla came into view.

"…_we've…tacked…units…to seven holding…"_ the technicians worked on their consoles even more hastily and both image and sound quality were getting better by the second. Not that Lydecker appreciated it much at first; Kyla looked terrible. The left side of her face was covered in blood, and one eye was almost completely swollen shut. Small cuts covered her entire face and there was a large gash on her neck which looked like it had been caused by a grazing shot or big piece of shrapnel. The tactical vest she was wearing was covered in dirt and grime and partly torn to shreds and you could see her bloodied training uniform underneath it. There was a hint of professionally contained panic in her eyes and the female X5 was panting so hard she could barely speak. In the background the sounds of an extremely intense firefight could be heard. _"I repeat, this is X5-301 calling from Manticore HQ in Gilette, can anybody hear me, over!"_

"This is Pentagon TAC one" the officer on duty, army Lieutenant-Colonel Dante, responded briskly. "Sitrep!"

"_We are under attack from an unknown number of enemy ground and air forces_" she replied hastily but apparently a little bit more composed. "_Sustaining excessive casualties I say again, excessive casualties! We're being overrun! We need immediate reinforcements and heavy armor ASAP, over!_"

"Roger, reinforcements are on the way!" At a slight nod from Dante his 2IC began to coordinate with some of the other operators in the room which unit would arrive in Gilette the fastest.

"Put me through!" Lydecker barked and put on a headset not caring that he was not in charge right now. That was his base and his kids under fire and he would be damned if he didn't try to do something about it. Tisnewsky hesitated briefly but then signaled Dante to get the Colonel online.

"You're on, Colonel!"

"301, this is Lydecker! What's your situation?"

"_Thank the Gods!"_ she choked in relief before she regained her composure. _"Sir, it's…we never saw them coming, I don't know why. They came from the south-western perimeter and overran the guards. What we've seen so far is a damned lot of heavy infantry, lightly armored vehicles and at least half a dozen choppers. Most of the black ops are gone. I heard from O'Neill that he and Coleman were trying to mount a defense in their secondary barracks with what's left of their guys but no word from them for the last ten minutes. We're running low on ammo and communication is spotty at best."_

An explosion shook the building and made her stumble.

"_All X5 and X6-series have engaged the enemy. Units four to seven are spread in the buildings six to nine in defensive engagements and units two and three are actively engaging the enemy in sector west, over!"_

"Have you identified the attackers?"

"_Who the hell do you think it is, sir!"_ was Kyla's rhetoric reply.

"How long can you hold your position?" It was clear who was attacking Gilette, of course. This was bad, this was damned FUBAR bad!

"_I don't know for sure, sir. I have lost communication with all units except two and four. Alec thinks he can hold them back for another fifteen minutes at best. We will use that time to evacuate civilian personnel and X7s."_

"Alec? Why is Alec in charge of unit two?" That question silenced Kyla for several seconds and something inside her seemed to break. The suddenly lifeless look in her eyes got the old Colonel's heart in an icy grip. "Kyla, where is Wolf?"

"_He's…I'm so sorry, sir, but…he's…"_ she whispered and Lydecker could barely understand her but he didn't need to. Her eyes told him everything and a single tear was trailing down her cheek. "_He's gone…sir. He and Ares fell when they stopped the first wave of attack. He's…he's dead, sir. He's…oh, Gods!"_

She covered her mouth with her hand and at the sound of her choked sob the men and women in the room could almost feel the pain surging through that young woman themselves and some of them shuddered. After a moment Kyla composed herself and looked back into the camera with teary eyes.

"_How long until those reinforcements…"_ she began but was cut off by another explosion, this one a lot bigger than the last. _"What the…standby, TAC one!"_

She left the room and Lydecker could hear her shouting for information over the sound of gunfire.

"How long until the first reinforcements arrive?" Kramer snapped.

"Air Force CAP inbound from the north, ETA nineteen minutes!" was the reply from a radio operator.

"They don't have nineteen minutes" Tisnewsky growled.

"Satellite is still not responding!" came another announcement. "Reboot in progress. We will be online again in thirty-seven minutes."

"Wait, you lost the satellite?" Lydecker asked incredulously.

"What the hell is going on there?" somebody spoke out loud what everybody else was thinking.

Right then Kyla came back and she looked even more desperate than before.

"_Sir, we just lost units four, five and seven, the bastards blew up the whole buildings they were in!"_ Her voice was high-pitched. _"No word from unit three, we're waiting for unit two and…"_

"_No need to!"_ another voice cut in and the next moment a male X5 stormed into the room with an unconscious and bloody Blade in his arms. The Asian X5 looked even worse than Kyla. _"She's the only one who made it out alive!"_

"_That's not…"_ Kyla objected and took an involuntary step towards her injured sister. _"How…? Gods, Blade!"_

"_Heavy machine guns and mortars, they didn't stand a chance!"_ a third voice informed her. A second later the battle-weary Jazi came into view and quickly approached the communications console. _"Colonel, all other units, both X5s and X6s have been destroyed. The enemy is advancing on our position. I gave the order to retreat and disperse into the woods. Self-destruct has been activated."_

"_There has to be somebody left!"_ Kyla objected from where she was kneeling at Blade's side. The gunfire was growing louder.

"_There is __**nothing**__ left!"_ Jazi suddenly screamed at her in sudden anger and rage. _"Our people are dead! They're all dead!"_

Turning back to the screen the Delta's expression became even more grim. _"I don't think we're gonna make it, sir. It has been an honor, give them hell! Gilette HQ, signing off! Out!"_

With that she turned away from the console and shouted the order to retreat. One by one what was left of unit six sprinted past the console's camera. Blade was being carried again. As one of the last Jazi grabbed Kyla by her shoulders and pushed her out of the room. The female X5 didn't even seem to hear the Delta transgenic and appeared apathetic since she had been told that Blade was all that was left of her family. Lydecker watched her go, completely frozen and unable to do anything to help her. Mere seconds after they vanished from view the whole room was engulfed in a huge explosion and the screen went dark.

The silence which followed was so thick you could almost cut it.

"Everyone in this room, listen up!" the dark and grim voice of General Kramer finally was the first to be heard again. "I want every unit which can reach Gilette within four hours sent there immediately. Army, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, whatever you can find. Tell them to move their asses to that base immediately! NOW!"

Lydecker didn't even wait for him to finish the order but had already left the room.

"Deck, where are you going?" Tisnewsky asked once he had caught up with his friend.

"Gilette!"

"There's nothing to do for you there!"

"The hell there isn't! That's my base you're talking about here, so with all due respect, General, watch your damned mouth!"

"Deck, I understand you want to do something" Tisnewsky agreed. "But at least do me a favor and contact the local commander before you storm in there. By the time you arrive our first responders will already be on the scene."

"If they're up to it they're welcome to accompany me" the old Colonel seethed. Meanwhile they had reached the main entrance and left the building into the cold night. "If they're not they better don't get in my way!"

"Deck!" Tisnewsky tried but Manticore's commanding officer didn't stop. "Colonel Lydecker!"

At this Lydecker finally stopped and stared at his superior. Tisnewsky took his hand and shook it with a grim determination.

"If there are any survivors we will get them out of there, I promise. Good luck, and don't get shot, Colonel!"

"I'll try not to, sir. And thank you!"

With that he finally left and sprinted down the stairs to his already waiting car. Without missing a second the vehicle shot towards the parking exit as soon as the Colonel had closed the door while Tisnewsky turned around to get back into the building. He had to find out who on Earth had not only the guts but also the skills to attack a facility like Gilette and actually even seemed to win. He had almost reached the doors when it happened.

He never saw the missile but he had heard enough Javelins in his life to recognize the sound of one of them. Before he could throw himself on the ground something not far away was hit by the anti-tank weapon and the blast was strong enough to knock the wind out of him and throw him against the wall. Once the heat had washed over him he staggered back on his feet and tried to find out what had just happened. It took him only seconds to find the target of the attack.

There, almost out of the park deck, was Colonel Donald Lydecker's car, set ablaze and destroyed almost beyond any recognition.

Unseen by Tisnewsky two black-clad X5s on a rooftop were watching the burning car, grinning.


End file.
